Man Chases TriMet Employee With Electric Drill: Police

PORTLAND, OR — A Portland-area transient who's apparently been arrested in Multnomah County 14 times since September 2017 was arrested again Sunday afternoon after he allegedly chased a TriMet employee with an electric drill.

Fred Maurice Knispel, 61, was taken to Multnomah County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct, menacing, and criminal mischief. His bail is set at $12,468.

Knispel was reportedly onboard a TriMet bus around noon July 8 when it pulled into its end-of-service line at the Parkrose Transit Station, located at 9525 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

When the bus stopped, a TriMet employee asked Knispel to get off, police said. Knispel, however, reportedly chose instead to chase the employee with an electric drill.

Chasing the TriMet employee off the bus, Knispel then allegedly broke the window of a TriMet van that was parked nearby.

Knispel was still at the station when officers began arriving on scene. But once they began telling him to put down the drill, Knispel reportedly ran into a community area at the Rodeway Inn at Portland Airport, 9723 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

Eventually, after officers caught up to Knispel, he surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.

No one was hurt during this arrest, police said, noting the drill was recovered and taken as evidence.

Just over one week ago, on June 29, Knispel was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after he was caught allegedly threatening employees at the McDonalds on North Ida Avenue, near University Park. Also during that incident Knispel was reportedly seen standing in the eastbound lanes of North Lombaard Boulevard, blocking traffic.

Other charges of harassment and interfering with public transit were filed with no complaint in March.

Image via Portland Police Bureau