Whitney M. Woodworth

Statesman Journal

A man working on a tree service crew in Keizer allegedly tried to shove his co-worker headfirst into a running wood chipper, police said.

Scott Iverson, 26, of Stayton, was arrested on attempted murder and assault charges after he allegedly attacked his 22-year-old co-worker.

An employee of the tree service company reported the incident to police Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, Keizer Police Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kuhns said the victim, a Salem man, was loading brush into a running wood chipper when Iverson grabbed him from behind and put him in a choke hold. Kuhns said Iverson pushed the man's torso onto the feeding table of the wood chipper head first.

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According to a probable cause statement filed in Marion County, the victim said he held onto the sides of the table "for dear life."

The statement also alleged the following:

The victim broke free from Iverson's grasp, but his attacker began punching him in the head and pushed him back into the chipper. As he loomed over the chipper's blade, the victim said he thought he was going to die.

He told police he remembered thinking, "I really don't want to die this way."

As Iverson lifted the man's leg onto the feeding tube, another employee intervened and pulled Iverson off the victim.

Iverson told the other employee, "He's a pedophile. I can tell by the way he's talking."

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The victim has no criminal record of sexual abuse or felony convictions. He told police he and Iverson had no issues and he did not know why Iverson attacked him. The victim suffered injuries to his neck and cut his jaw during the attack.

Iverson walked away from the scene and was located by investigators at a restaurant on Friday. He told investigators he would plead guilty to any of the charges but refused to discuss the incident.

He was taken to Marion County jail and held without bail.

At his arraignment Monday, Iverson's bail was set at $50,000. His next hearing is scheduled for May 11.

Police said the incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ben Howden at 503-390-3713 ext. 3525.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth