Grants Pass Police officers identified a stolen Dodge truck Friday morning, April 21st, and followed the vehicle until the driver pulled into a residential driveway in the area of NE Hillcrest Lane.
Officers coordinated with other responding units to drive in behind the stolen truck to make the arrest, however, when the officers did so, the suspect enter the driver’s seat of a white Acura and begin ramming vehicles, including the patrol cars, as officers blocked him in. The suspect left the vehicle behind and attempted to flee on foot.
A perimeter around the neighborhood to capture the suspect was quickly established by Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police and Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies, before a detective in an unmarked vehicle spotted the suspect with a bicycle he had stolen.
The suspect once again fled and began jumping fences toward Interstate 5. The suspect eventually ran out onto the highway, and as vehicles stopped, he began attempting to enter random vehicles occupied by citizens.
As officers chased after the suspect onto the highway, the suspect continued to ignore officers commands in his attempt to flee as he continued across all lanes of traffic and over the guard rail on the south of the highway.
The suspect then attempted to jump a barbed wire fence and officers used less than lethal force by deploying a Bean Bag shell and Taser, stopping the suspect.
The suspect, identified as 27 year old Chauncey Justice McKinney, of Cave Junction, was placed under arrest and transported to a local hospital for medical clearance. No citizens were injured during this incident, and officers only sustained minor injuries.
McKinney was later lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two warrants involving weapons, elude, and parole violation, as well as fresh charges for vehicle theft, eluding officers, reckless driving, and bicycle theft x2.
