Officers use a drone (that white spot) to document the scene under the Pacific Boulevard viaduct this afternoon.
Spot news on the cop beat is not the usual fare on this website. But on a bike ride in the rain after noon on Monday, this is what I came across at the Lyon Street underpass in downtown Albany.
By the time I got back to my desk and laptop, Oregon State Police had put out this statement:
“On Monday, January 2, 2023, at approximately 11:45 A.M., Oregon State Troopers responded to assist the Linn County Sheriff’s Department, who was in pursuit of a vehicle. The pursuit terminated within the City of Albany and Oregon State Troopers were involved in an Officer Involved Shooting.
“The suspect was transported via ambulance to a local hospital. No law enforcement personnel were physically injured during the incident. The Albany Police Department will be conducting the investigation of the incident. Future releases of information will be made by the Albany Police Department and the Linn County District Attorney’s Office.”
The Albany Democrat-Herald, in a story online, quoted APD Lt. Robert Hayes that the fleeing car had been stopped by a spike strip, that a trooper fired at the driver, and that the driver was taken to Albany General Hospital.
At the scene at about 2:30, I counted 11 police vehicles from agencies including the Corvallis and Albany police departments, the State Police and the Linn County’s Sheriff’s Office.
Officers were manning the yellow tape barring access to the Lyon Street underpass under the Pacific Boulevard viaduct. One of them told me, when I asked what had happened, that a “media release” would be forthcoming.
When the details come out, I’ll try to add them here. (hh)
Actually, the details, such as they are, are in a separate story published Tuesday.
A closer look at the Honda with its front tires gone after running over a spike strip. What caused the rear-end damage?
The the scene of the “officer involved shooting” as seen from Lyon Street.
Wow! What next? Will look forward to your blog with the details.
Thank you for the information Hasso. I was on Pacific Blvd. headed to Salem just before 3 pm and saw that the exit to Lyon Street was closed. I thought maybe a crash but this was worse.
Just an update. I drove back by on my way home at 6:55 p.m. The north and south bound exits to Lyons Street are still closed. Might affect commutes in the morning
I was there. He was stopped by the concrete of the bridge. I was stuck at the train station with no ambulance arriving within a reasonable time. Shots definitely fired.
I was at turning left at Pacific and Queen when this guy drove through, with (what appeared at the time, to be) half of the police cars in the state following him. At that point, he was already missing a tire, or two, so I figured his time on the lam would be ending soon. At first, I thought there must be some VIP passing through, because a City of Albany police car blocked the intersection followed, a short time later, as if in a bizarre parade, by the partially disabled car, and what appeared to be a few dozen county, city, and state (Linn, Benton, Albany, Corvallis, and State) police cars. The driver of the getaway car looked scared– like he knew what was about to happen to him.
Rearend damage was due to a police maneuver on the fleeing vehicle in that area, causing the crash into the bridge support.