White Man Allegedly Sicced His Pit Bull on Black Security Guard After Hurling Racial Slur
The victim sustained severe injuries to his chest and right hand
Portland Police Department (2)
Zachary Hay and his dogContent warning: This story contains disturbing details.
A White man in Oregon is facing assault and bias crime charges after allegedly ordering his dog to assault a Black man, the Portland Police Bureau announced on Tuesday, May 21.
The incident occurred in downtown Portland on May 12. The police department alleges that the suspect, Zachary T. Hay, 29, called an adult Black man a racial slur before ordering his dog — a brindle pit bull — to attack him.
Hay allegedly recognized the Black male from his job as a security guard at a grocery store in the area.
The victim sustained "severe bites to his chest and his right hand, which partially de-gloved his right thumb," according to papers filed by the prosecution and obtained by Oregonlive.
A second victim, a White male, was also injured in the altercation.
Detectives believe there could be additional victims.
Related: Woman Allegedly Shoots Father of Her 3 Children After Dispute Over Keys, Police Say
The new release reads: “Based on the investigation thus far, the Major Crimes Unit believes there is a third victim who sustained significant injuries during an encounter with Hay and his dog. Photos of both are being released in hopes that the unidentified victim, or anyone else who may have been victimized by Hay and his dog, will contact police.”
According to Oregonlive, which cites the papers filed by prosecutors, the third victim, a White male, attempted to stop the pit bull from attacking the Black man and was bitten in the groin.
Related: UPS Driver Shot 14 Times By Childhood Friend and Coworker, District Attorney Says
Hay has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree bias crime. The dog has been taken into the custody of Multnomah County Animal Services.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
KOIN, an affiliate of CBS, reports that Hay appeared in court on Wednesday, May 22, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. PEOPLE was not able to immediately reach a lawyer for him.
The Portland Police Bureau declined to provide further comment on the incident.
The Portland Police Bureau encourages those with information about the case to contact Detective Matthew Brown at matthew.brown@police.portlandoregon.gov.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
