Portland woman attacked by suspect wielding 2x2 after wishing him ‘a blessed day’

Keith Lopez Herring, 52, was arraigned on Tuesday and subsequently charged with attempting to commit a class B felony, second-degree robbery, three counts of second-degree assault, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree escape, and menacing.

According to KATU, the aforementioned woman was utilizing a power outlet outside the Marriot Hotel on SW14th and Naito Parkway when Herring began walking towards her. When she offered him pleasant wishes, he allegedly took the 6-foot-long 2x2 in his hand and swung it at her, hitting her just below the knees.

After trying, and failing, to assault another person near the hotel, he allegedly made his way to the Plaid Pantry on Southwest 1st Avenue, where he is accused of having confronted a security guard before hitting him in the face and forearm with the piece of wood.

He then allegedly tried to carjack a man working at a dentist's office near the convenience store, threatening he would kill him with a metal rod.

Police eventually caught up with Herring and took him down to the station, where he proceeded to attack a detective during questioning, sending her tumbling to the ground.

He is currently being held without bail and is set to appear in court again on March 13.

Herring has a long criminal history in Oregon and Washington state. According to the Yakima Herald-Republic, he was convicted of indecent liberties in 1988 and released from prison in the early 2010s despite being labeled a "Level 3 offender," a term used for those deemed most likely to re-offend. In 2017, he moved to Sherman County, but failed to register as a sex offender.