Intense police chase with shots fired at officers ends with standoff at rural home, Eugene police say
EUGENE, Ore. -- An intense chase Thursday night with shots fired at police that ended in a standoff and gunfire at a rural home south of Eugene has one suspect in jail and another recovering in the hospital, Eugene Police Department said.
According to EPD, an officer stopped a truck occupied by a man and a woman near west 11th Avenue at about 11:12 p.m. on January 26. EPD said that during the stop, the driver intentionally rammed into the officer’s patrol vehicle and sped away from the scene.
Chief of Eugene Police Chris Skinner said, "We initiated the pursuit at that point... and this young officer reached out and called for help. We had other Eugene officers en-route to assist. The pursuit took us out of the city, out onto Fox Hollow Road."
Police said the officer gave chase and called for backup, and the pursuit quickly developed into a massive police action with law enforcement agents from EPD, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, the Springfield Police Department, and Oregon State Police.
According to EPD, during the chase, one or both of the suspects fired several gunshots from the vehicle at pursuing officers. Eventually, the chase ended when the suspect vehicle pulled into the private driveway of a house on Fox Hollow Road a few miles south of Eugene, police said. The suspects jumped out of the truck and ran into the home as police arrived, and the people living in the house quickly got out as law enforcement surrounded the building, according to police.
"I don't know if they were forced out by the suspects at gun point and told to leave," Chief Skinner said. "[Or] if they heard somebody come in, and very quickly were able to ascertain the situation and left on their own."
Eugene police said SWAT and their crisis negotiation team arrived at the house at about 12:30 a.m. on January 27. According to police, despite the efforts of negotiators, the suspects refused to leave the building.
During the standoff, police officers were able to use new technology that they say saved lives. Drones were able to get inside the house and see where the suspects were trying to barricade themselves within.
"You're not sending in a canine, you're not sending in an officer. But the ability to send in a drone to see what is happening is just a really neat piece of technology that we were able to utilize in this case," Chief Skinner said.
Police said tear gas was used to try to force the suspects out, and an exchange of gunfire was had when suspects shot at officers.
Eventually, at about 4 a.m., the male suspect, later identified as Chet Evan Raymond, 31, finally surrendered to officers, saying the female suspect was suffering some sort of medical emergency in the house. As Raymond was arrested, SWAT entered the home to rescue the female suspect, found her suffering from a possible drug overdose, and rendered medical aid, police said. Eugene Springfield Fire, which had arrived to the scene some time earlier, took the female suspect to the hospital for treatment.
Eugene Police Department said neither suspects were harmed by police action, and no law enforcement or emergency personnel were harmed in the incident. Police said the female suspect is still in the hospital, and Raymond was taken to the Lane County Jail. Charges are pending.
Because shots were fired during this standoff, a number of officers are on administrative leave.
Chief Skinner says after taking everything into consideration, things could have ended much differently.
"At the end of all of this, I see this as being an incredibly fortunate and lucky set of circumstances," said Chief Skinner. "We didn't have any officers hurt, we didn't have any subjects hurt, we didn't have any citizens hurt, or any home owners hurt. And a lot of gunfire and it could've gone in a completely different direction."
