Gresham Man Accused of Pointing Handgun At Hispanic Couple, Yelling "You Damn Mexicans"

Kevin Meehan, 59, waiting for his arraignment at the Multnomah County Justice Center Doug Brown

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A white Gresham man is accused of pulling out his loaded handgun and pointing it towards a Hispanic couple after he yelled "you damn Mexicans" at them.

Kevin Meehan, 59, was arraigned Wednesday at the Multnomah County Justice Center for one count of unlawful use of a weapon—a felony—and pleaded not guilty. He was out of jail after posting bail. He was booked Tuesday by the Gresham Police Department with additional menacing and second degree intimidation charges, but the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office is not prosecuting him on those.

The alleged "road rage" incident happened on March 12 around the in the area of SE 181st and Yamhill. The Hispanic couple was in their car, stopped at a red light when Meehan, driving a black Hyundai, pulled up next to them and "starting yelling racial slurs at them, including 'You damn Mexicans,'" the probable cause affidavit for Meehan's arrest states.

The passenger of the car yelled back at Meehan. That's when Meehan allegedly pulled out his gun, police say. The couple got a picture of Meehan's car and license plate, drove away, and immediately called police.

Gresham police tracked the car to Meehan's house and talked to him there. Meehan told the cops he was angry about being cut off in traffic, so he "caught up with them and yelled at them."

"MEEHAN admitted that he did use racial slurs," the affidavit states, and that he did have his 9mm Beretta with him, which he admitted he keeps loaded, but he originally denied pointing it at the couple. After some more questioning Meehan allegedly said "Maybe I accidentally showed it."

Court records indicate Meehan has three "violent misdemeanor convictions," with the most recent coming in 1992.

Court records also show Gresham police originally booked Meehan for this case with one count of misdemeanor menacing in early April, a few weeks after it happened. The district attorney's office declined to prosecute then. About a month later, he was booked for menacing and intimidation—both misdemeanors—for this incident and again prosecutors issued a "no complaint." He was booked for a third time with those two charges and the felony unlawful use of a weapon charge, and the district attorney's office is now just going after him on the felony. He'll be out on bail through the conclusion of the case.