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White felon charged with intimidating black youths

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 60-year-old white man is facing intimidation and menacing charges after allegedly screaming racist profanities at 2 black youths and threatening them with a butcher knife outside his apartment in Southeast Portland. 

Michael Amatullo, who has been convicted of 12 felonies, 5 misdemeanors and 15 parole violations in the past, was arrested Tuesday. 

Probable cause documents presented in Multnomah County Circut Court the next day show Amatullo started screaming at an 8-year-old boy who walked past his apartment because he thought the boy was staring at him. 

The boy’s 14-year-old brother stepped in between the two and Amatullo repeatedly called the brother the N-word and threatened to “beat his ass,” the probable cause document said. 

That’s when Amatullo allegedly got a butcher knife and held it up as if he was going to stab the older brother. Both boys ran and hid under a nearby stairwell and called 911. Amatullo also called 911. 

Police arrested Amatullo and reported seeing the knife lying near his front door. 

Amatullo said the 8-year-old boy was staring at him and the 14-year-old threatened him, according to the probable cause document. 

He allegedly shouted racist expletives from the back of the police car after being arrested.