An Oregon mother used a stick to chase an intruder out of her home in the middle of the night, and the suspect was later arrested after allegedly hitting a police officer with a rock.
Intruder Breaks In
Amanda Materi Brown, 42, was watching a movie after putting her children to bed on Thursday when a man entered her $1 million Portland home through the sliding glass door. The suspect, identified by police as 35-year-old Timothy Reed, was screaming loudly and making threats. 'He was screaming really loudly, nonsensical, I couldn't really understand except, "I'll kill you, I'll kill everyone," was really obvious,' Materi Brown told KPTV.
Mother's Quick Reaction
Materi Brown said her reaction was to 'meet crazy with crazy.' She grabbed a stick that she kept by her bed and chased the intruder out. 'I just went for him. I completely just started swinging the stick at him, and he started backing up out of the house, which was ideal,' she said. She then called 911 and reported the break-in, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). 'She reported that the man threatened to kill them all. She armed herself with a stick and chased the man, who grabbed a metal garbage can lid and fled from the home,' police said.
Police Confrontation
Officers tracked Reed to a nearby footbridge, where he was confronted. Body camera footage appeared to show Reed holding the garbage can lid and a rock police say was 'roughly the size of a softball.' He was hostile with officers, saying, 'I'm not afraid of you pig, I'll kill you.' According to PPB, Reed struck an officer in the head with the rock during the arrest. The officer was transported to the hospital via police vehicle, treated, and released. He has been cleared to return to duty.
Charges and Prior Incidents
Reed was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree escape, second-degree assault, assaulting a police officer, and third-degree criminal mischief. His next court hearing is scheduled for June 9, and his bail has not been set. According to local news, Reed had been arrested just days before the home invasion for allegedly exposing himself to children at a park on May 11. He also allegedly threatened to kill the responding officer during that incident. Court filings state that when asked why he had been naked in front of children, Reed made rambling statements about 'being told to do it by God' and other nonsensical remarks, admitting he knew children were nearby but saw no problem with it.
Family's Response
Materi Brown said she and her family are relieved that Reed is in custody but are still shaken up. 'We're okay. You know, bad things happen in life, and we're not going to let it make us afraid,' she said.
