Justin Antoine McDonald Receives 16 Month Prison Sentence For Repeatedly Spitting On Police - 11/21/19

November 21, 2019

Justin Antoine McDonald receives 16 month prison sentence for repeatedly spitting on police

Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that 39-year-old Justin Antoine McDonald received a 16 month prison sentence upon his fourth conviction for intentionally spitting on police officers.

On October 19, 2019, an officer assigned to the Portland Police Bureau responded to the intersection of North Oberlin Street and North Huron Avenue to conduct an area check after police received information a person who appeared agitated and who was waiving a knife. As the officer was responding, he learned that suspected had threatened the 9-1-1 caller and had fled.

Officers located a man, later identified as McDonald, nearby and detained him pursuant to the investigation.

While police contacted McDonald, he started yelling to be let go and started yelling racial slurs.

While being search by law enforcement, McDonald said “I’m going to spit on you.” McDonald was told that he could be charged with a felony if he did. At that point, McDonald turned his torso, kicked his feet and spit on the arresting officer.

Law enforcement located a folding knife in McDonald’s pocket while searching him.

Police put McDonald into the back seat of a patrol vehicle in order to transport him to the Multnomah County Detention Center. While in the back, McDonald spit all over the seat and continued trying to spit on the officer. Upon doing so, McDonald made a statement to the officer which suggested he had AIDS or HIV and said “I hope you have it now.”

At the time of his arrest in October, McDonald had three opening cases for separate instances where he spit on an officer.

Earlier this week, a judge convicted McDonald of one count of aggravated harassment and one count of resisting arrest. By changing his plea, McDonald admitted that he unlawfully and intentionally propelled saliva at a person he knew to be an on-duty police officer and that the saliva came into physical contact with the officer and that he unlawfully and intentionally resisted while being arrested by law enforcement.

McDonald also resolved the two other cases wherein he spit on police.

In total, the court sentenced McDonald to 16 months in prison. Upon release, McDonald will be on 36 months of post-prison supervision. He will also be on probation through the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program for approximately three years after his release.

As stated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV is not spread through saliva.

This case was prosecuted by Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson.

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Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us