A 49-year-old Union County man named Michael Patrick Haines faces multiple charges, including two counts of bias crime, following a disturbing confrontation near the LaGrande Fire Department. Witnesses report that Haines brandished a shotgun while verbally assaulting workers on a nearby cell phone tower, hurling racial slurs and stating they “don’t belong here.”
During the incident, Haines allegedly fired a pepper gun into the air and threatened the workers, who feared for their safety. When approached by police, he admitted to owning the shotgun for self-defense but appeared to be heavily intoxicated. Haines has no prior criminal history, raising questions about what prompted this violent outburst.
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