November 25, 2024 11:20 a.m.
Roseburg Police jailed a man for DUII following a standoff early Sunday.
An RPD report said the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a call that the 59-year-old man from Drain was in the Deans Creek area when he called Lines for Life, saying he had been drinking and was suicidal. The man said he was going to go to Walmart to purchase a plastic gun and, “Come out so that people will shoot him”.
Deputies spoke with the man via cell phone at around 9:00 p.m. Saturday and he said he was in Coos Bay at that time. Around 2:00 a.m. RPD officers were conducting a DUII investigation on Northeast Stephens Street near Northeast Barnes Avenue, when a red pickup drove by and the driver, later identified as the suspect, honked his horn. One officer left the investigation to talk to a bartender regarding this DUII, when a bartender from another establishment, said the suspect had been in his bar not long before saying he had a plastic gun and was going to find an officer to shoot him.
The officer returned to the original DUII scene and the suspect drove by honking the horn again and swerving across the lanes of travel. That officer got in his patrol vehicle to stop the man, who then accelerated. The officer finally caught up to the suspect as his vehicle crossed over Interstate 5 on Northwest Stewart Parkway. The man’s vehicle was allegedly weaving within the lane and as it crossed over Northwest Edenbower Boulevard, the passenger side tires struck the curb.
The officer attempted to stop the driver at Northwest Mercy Drive, and he pulled into the Community Cancer Center. While the officer was waiting for backup, the man reportedly drove off towards the hospital and parked in an employee lot. The man then pulled his vehicle into the Emergency Room driveway and stopped.
More officers and deputies arrived, and a 20-minute standoff ensued. During that time, the suspect was bit on the arm by DCSO K9 Aros. The man was taken into custody shortly thereafter. He was treated in the ER for the bite and was taken to corrections. He was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. Bail was set at $16,250.