The Beaverton man accused of attacking a woman with a hammer in the Beaverton Fred Meyer had been arrested for an unusual assault in the past.

Washington County Jail

Police say Eric Osterholme randomly attacked a woman with a hammer inside a Beaverton Fred Meyer.

Eric Osterholme, 65, was arrested on May 17, 2002 at his apartment in Beaverton after striking a six-year-old child in the throat with a “judo-style chop,” according to Sgt. Paul Wandell with the Beaverton Police Department.

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“The juvenile had been playing outside in the parking lot of the complex when he walked up to Osterholme to say ‘Hi.’ (Osterholme was walking by the juvenile at the time). Osterholme swore at the juvenile and then struck him once in the throat… The child suffered no serious injuries,” Wandell recalled.

Osterholme was later found guilty of harassment on Aug. 20, 2002 in Beaverton Municipal Court and fined $309.