Beaverton officer attacked during welfare check; police say job is dangerous

BEAVERTON, Ore. (KPTV) - Officers say police attacks are happening more often, and while welfare checks are done all the time, the simplest calls can quickly go wrong.

On May 9, a Beaverton police officer was called to check in on 35-year old William Schott who was lying on the sidewalk on Southwest Allen Boulevard and Southwest Erickson Avenue. During the check, investigators say Schott attacked and strangled the officer, injuring the officer’s head and neck. Police say Schott tried to get away but was caught shortly after and taken into custody.

“They were just checking on somebody’s well-being and this was no different. I guarantee you that this officer had checked on the well-being of hundreds of people before something like this happened,” says Matt Henderson, Beaverton Police.  “This officer, I spoke with him directly, told me that he tried multiple different techniques to gain control of this person, and just wasn’t able to.”

SEE ALSO: Bodies stacking up, autopsies nixed as Oregon Medical Examiner’s Division facing ‘worsening crisis’

Schott is facing charges including resisting arrest and strangulation. He’s also a convicted felon with 21 arrests dating back to 2008. Washington County Sheriff’s Office say drugs and alcohol play a major role in law-enforcement attacks. Schott told police he was homeless and a user of methamphetamine.

“They will alter an individuals’ state of mind, their decision-making skills a play a big role in officer assaults a lot of the time,” says Danny DiPietro, WSCO.

SEE ALSO: Washington County K9 finds 110 lbs. of meth during traffic stop

“A lot of this comes back to drug use and mental health issues, and these officers are on the front lines of this. We are the ones that are having to deal with this in unsanitary environments,” says Henderson.

Police say Schott is a convicted felon with a criminal record consisting of 21 arrests in Oregon dating back to 2008. He has been arrested multiple times for strangulation and assault, according to police. In March 2016, he was convicted of attempting to assault an officer and resisting arrest in Clackamas County.

“A lot of this comes back to drug use and mental health issues, and these officers are on the front lines of this. We are the ones that are having to deal with this in unsanitary environments,” says Henderson.

SEE ALSO: Man’s body found in Camas woods; police investigating

in October 2022, investigators say 27-year old Joshua Wesley charged at WCSO Deputy, Zane Hafeman, in a Hillsboro hospital, trying to take his gun. During the exchange Deputy Hafeman stabbed Wesley multiple times. Wesley is now charged with assault of a public safety officer

“You get into a fight and someone’s reaching for one of your tools whether it’s your taser, gun or knife on you, it’s scary, but at the same time you have to address the situation and do everything you can to stop the attack and get that person into custody as so safely as possible,” says Danny.

“We don’t know if these folks have weapons we don’t know how long they’ve been awake or how much fentanyl or methamphetamine they’ve used so it’s a dangerous job,” says Henderson.

Beaverton PD say since the incident on May 9, they’ve made changes when it comes to welfare checks, and will now be using a two-officer response.

Copyright 2023 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.