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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Crime Crimesville: Man Uses Little Girl as Human Shield

Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 10:14 AM

I love the summers in Portland because the criminals get nuttier as the temperature rises! Following the man who took a boy hostage with a rock, here's the sad/weird story of a man who police say used his daughter as a human shield!
Officers responded to a call of an altercation in Mt. Tabor Park on Tuesday at around 5 pm, in which police claim the suspect, 32-year-old Hugh Brandon Neustel, had spit on a park volunteer, and then threatened said volunteer with a gun. That's when things went nutsy. From the PPB release:

People at the park pointed Neustel out to the arriving officers. Officers approached Neustel but he walked away from them ignoring them. It appeared that Neustel had something in his hand. Neustel walked toward the playground and grabbed a 6-year-old girl off the equipment and held her across his body as a human shield.

Officers repeatedly asked him to put the girl down. At some point Neustel indicated the girl was his daughter. Officers requested additional cover units respond to the scene. It was only after several additional officers arrived that Neustel complied, he put the girl down and was arrested. Officers located a weapon. [Later discovered to be "a loaded Springfield Armory 40 caliber pistol."]

Whew, I'm glad that worked out okay, because that means I can make the following joke: "Daaaaad, stop using me as human shield! You're embarrassing meeeeeeee!"

Neustel was transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center and was charged with Attempted Coercion, two counts of Disorderly Conduct, Harassment, Interfering with a Police Officer, Possessing a Weapon in Park, and two counts of Reckless Endangering.

And the summer of fun continues.

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