August 23, 2024
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today announced that Issac Justham, 25, was indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts of aggravated animal abuse related to an August 2, 2024 incident wherein a man was captured on camera beating a dog.
Case Facts
On August 2, 2024, security cameras at an apartment building in the 500 block of Northeast Holladay Street captured an unknown man repeatedly abusing a dog. The abuse included hitting the dog with a heavy rope and hanging the dog from a fire extinguisher and repeatedly kicking it. Portland Police Bureau released a portion of the video to the public asking for help identifying the man in the video. Detectives were able to positively identify the suspect as 25-year-old Issac Booker Justham based on tips provided by the community. On August 17, 2024, PPB officers responded to possible sightings of Justham, and officers were able to take him into custody without incident.
Indictment
The case was referred to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office for review amidst considerable public interest. Upon review of the evidence provided by law enforcement, DDA Abbie Tornquist presented the case to a grand jury, which returned a true bill of indictment on August 23, 2024, on the following charges:
- 4 counts of Aggravated Animal Abuse in the First Degree
- 4 counts of Animal Abuse in the Second Degree
The dog in this case remains missing. If anyone has information as to the whereabouts or condition of the dog, please contact Detective Matthew Brown at matthew.brown@police.portlandoregon.gov. Thank you to the community for their collaborative work and investment in identifying the perpetrator. Please note that an indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and Justham is innocent unless and until proven guilty.