Gunman sentenced to prison for shooting at man confronting harassing peacocks

A man in Oregon has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for attempting to kill someone who asked him to stop harassing a group of peacocks. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office shared that Dylan Levi Rhoads has received a 90-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted murder. This decision was made by Multnomah County Circuit Judge Christopher Marshall on May 8. Besides accepting his guilt, Rhoads also resolved eight other cases against him during his court appearance.

Deputy District Attorney Eric Palmer highlighted Rhoads’ history of escalating criminal behavior and expressed his disappointment in the legal system for not adequately addressing it. The incident that led to his imprisonment took place on September 29, 2023. A man noticed Rhoads and another person bothering the peacocks in the neighborhood and intervened, asking them to stop. The birds are cherished by the community, with locals considering them as communal pets. This sense of shared responsibility prompted the victim to step in and advocate for the birds’ well-being.

Rhoads and the other individual responded violently to the victim’s request, threatening him with harm. After the victim returned home and the perpetrators left, Rhoads ambushed him at a nearby intersection and opened fire. Thanks to a heavy-duty seat installed in his car, one bullet was prevented from causing severe harm. Rhoads was eventually apprehended by law enforcement with the help of footage from neighbors’ Ring cameras.