Today at 7:20 AM, officers responded to a report of a possible stolen vehicle in the area of Crater Lake Avenue and Jackson Street. The suspect was reported to be armed with a handgun. Patrol officers spotted the vehicle and made a traffic stop in the parking lot of Walgreen’s on West Main Street. The suspect provided false information to the officers and as the second officer arrived on scene, the suspect rammed a patrol car and fled in the vehicle.
The suspect crashed the vehicle at the intersection of North Ross Lane and Rossanley Drive and fled on foot into the industrial complex near Lars Way and Brian Way. Multiple witnesses in the complex saw the suspect enter a warehouse building through the front door. MPD units quickly contained the scene by establishing a perimeter around the building the suspect entered and verified that there were no employees in the building.
The suspect has multiple outstanding felony warrants – including a parole violation out of Ohio and a weapons offense in California. Due to this information and the report that he was armed, MPD SWAT was deployed. In addition, the Drone Team, K-9’s, and the Crisis Negotiating Team responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, the SWAT Team entered into the warehouse lobby and immediately came into contact with the suspect, at which time he fired one round and retreated deeper into the warehouse. No injuries were sustained during this time. The SWAT Team exited the warehouse. While SWAT was assessing the perimeter, the suspect opened a side door and fired more shots before retreating back into the warehouse.
Crisis Negotiators made contact with the armed suspect in an attempt to safely resolve this incident. All measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the public, all officers on scene and the suspect.
MPD is being assisted by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and the Central Point Police Department.
UPDATE: At approximately 4:40p today, Police announced they have the suspect in custody. No additional information is available at this time.
Source: Medford Police
