EUGENE, Ore. – A man was arrested on multiple charges, including assault and unlawful use of a weapon, following a violent altercation with a woman in her 60s on March 21. According to police, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. near the intersection of Lawrence Street and Fourth Avenue when multiple witnesses reported seeing a man hanging onto the side of a van, punching the female driver as she attempted to drive away.
Authorities arrived shortly after the reports and arrested 42-year-old Rusty Dewayne Langston. Court documents revealed that the woman, who did not know Langston, was involved in a dispute with him over his dog. When the argument escalated, Langston allegedly began punching the woman through the window of her vehicle.
In an attempt to defend herself, the woman reportedly put the van in reverse, colliding with other cars in the process. Court records indicate that she had a machete on the dashboard and used it to strike Langston with the sheathed weapon. However, Langston was able to overpower her, seize the machete, and hit the woman with the handle, causing injuries.
Langston was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries before being booked into jail. He faces charges of second-degree assault, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon, and possession of methamphetamine. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation.
The woman, who is now recovering from the ordeal, did not know Langston before the incident, and police have yet to determine the exact cause of their dispute. The case remains under investigation as Langston awaits his day in court.
