On Wednesday morning, August 11th, law enforcement in Jackson County was advised to be on the lookout for a vehicle that was stolen during an armed carjacking in Canyonville, Ore. at about 6:50am. During that incident it was reported the suspect was armed with a black revolver.
Officers from the Central Point Police Department located the vehicle traveling south bound on I-5 just after 7:00am and a traffic stop was attempted on the vehicle and the suspect began driving at a high rate of speed in attempts to elude the officers. As the incident continued through numerous jurisdictions in Jackson County, officers from the Medford Police Department, Oregon State Police, Central Point Police Department, Phoenix Police Department, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies made multiple attempts to get the suspect to pull over, including several attempts to use spike strips.
Due to the severity of the incident in Canyonville and the imminent risk to the public, the pursuit continued, and at 7:38am, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputy used the Pursuit Intervention Technique maneuver to stop the suspect near the intersection of Dakota and S. Columbus Avenues in Medford.
Moments later, at 7:39am, deputies and officers on scene reported shots fired. Once the suspect was detained, law enforcement performed life saving measures until relieved by the Medford Fire Department who continued to render aid. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for further treatment and is currently in stable condition.
Based on the initial investigation we believe the suspect, Aurelio Escobar, 25, fired a revolver, which was recovered by investigators at the scene, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies and an Medford Police officers returned fire in response. Escobar was struck during the gunfire. No officers or deputies were struck.
Escobar is a suspect in a missing person case and wanted in conjunction with several other crimes in Yakima, Washington, including first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful weapon possession, and drive-by shooting. He is also the suspect in several armed car-jackings in Oregon and Washington.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit. The Oregon State Police is the lead agency, and is being assisted by the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
The officer and deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol in Jackson County. Once the investigation is completed, the information will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review, which is also standard protocol.
