Skip to main content
Base Camp Brewing owner Justin Mark Fay was arrested at his Tabor home after allegedly answering the door to two police officers while carrying an illegal make of AR-15 assault rifle, according to court filings obtained by KOIN yesterday.
Officers reportedly came to the door of Fay, 33, after he called 911 seven times in 10 minutes, complaining about homeless people. Officers believe Fay may have been under the influence of alcohol, according to filings.
Fay's company, Base Camp Brewing—best known for its aluminum bottles of S'mores Stout and India Pale Lager— was founded in 2010, and its brewpub location on Southeast Oak Street is popular among the local outdoor set. (Here's a recent image of Fay, on the right side of the photo.)
The responding officers were able to "take control" of the rifle, according to those filings. Chris Shull wrote of Fay, "Defendant asserted that he had many more weapons inside the house and told (the officer) that he wanted to go back inside so he could go get another gun and kill (the officer)."
Fay was arrested March 30 for seven counts of improper use of an emergency system, criminal mischief in the second degree, and unlawful firearm possession.
According to KOIN, when officers seized the assault rifle, the safety was off, and the gun was loaded with 30 rounds. The weapons charge results from the short length of the barrel—8 inches, which is shorter than the 16-inch barrel allowed under Oregon law.
According to KOIN, once Fay was in custody in the back of the police car, he kicked the roof and back seat. He also kicked the police car's window until it broke.
Fay appeared in court Wednesday. He posted $5,000 bail at 8:44 am Thursday. The hearing is scheduled for April 7.
Neither police nor Base Camp's publicist immediately responded to requests for comment.
Here's Fay talking about his brewery, sans beard:
Willamette Week