Police Say Road Rage Suspect 'Sicced' Pit Bull on Victim

Police say one man followed another for 30 minutes before first trying to get his dog to attack the man, and then punching him after the dog ran away.

Photo of pit bull used in alleged road rage incident. Courtesy: Oregon State Police

(ALBANY, Ore.) - This is a different kind of pit bull story; one that might say more about some people who own these dogs, than the animals themselves.

An Oregon State Police trooper and a Linn County deputy report being involved in an unusual "road rage" investigation Sunday afternoon involving two men and a pit bull on Interstate 5 south of Albany.

OSP Senior Trooper Lee Smith says Sunday at approximately 1:35 p.m., a report was received of a fight involving two men and a pit bull dog at the Arco Station on Highway 34 near Interstate 5.

By the time Senior Trooper Smith arrived, the suspect and his dog had left the scene in a green 1998 Toyota pickup.

Smith says the suspect, 24-year old Thomas Lockard of Salem, followed the victim, 29-year old Jeffrey Dougherty of Eugene, after an apparent traffic-related incident in the Salem area.

"The victim drove his 1996 Lexus southbound on Interstate 5 as Lockard reportedly continued to follow him for approximately 30 miles until exiting at Highway 34 near milepost 228," Smith said.

The victim drove into the Arco gas station and stopped where Lockard followed and blocked his car in, Smith said.

"The victim got out of his car and was going to walk away when Lockard called his pit bull from the vehicle and directed it to 'sic him'."

Smith says the dog approached the victim who kicked it, causing the dog to turn and run away. Lockard allegedly punched the victim in the face, and as both men fought they were separated by witnesses.

Lockard then got back into his pickup with his dog named "Brucer" and left, Smith said.

The suspect and his dog were located by a Linn County deputy on Highway 228 at exit 216, west of Interstate 5 and detained them until Senior Trooper Smith could arrive and continue the investigation.

Lockard was subsequently cited to appear in Linn County Circuit Court on a misdemeanor charge of Harassment. Police apparently left the dog with its owner.