Prineville, Ore. — Two people were arrested Friday, November 13th, following a series of vehicle and foot pursuits through northeast Prineville that began with an attempted traffic stop involving a motorcycle later confirmed to have been stolen.
According to the Prineville Police Department, the incident began around 11:53 a.m. when an officer attempted to stop a motorcycle near NE Laughlin Road. The male operator reportedly refused to stop and fled before turning into a driveway, where he lost control and crashed.
Police said the man then jumped into the bed of a pickup truck driven by an adult woman, who subsequently fled from officers and allegedly attempted to strike an officer with her vehicle.
The pursuit continued east along NE Laughlin Road toward Ochoco Highway before turning onto NE Barnes Road, NE Barnes Butte Road and eventually NE Yellowpine Road.
During the pursuit, police said the man began throwing tools and other objects from the bed of the pickup toward pursuing patrol vehicles. No police vehicles were damaged.
Both suspects apprehended following separate searches
In the 3000 block of NE Yellowpine Road, the man reportedly jumped from the moving pickup and fled on foot into a nearby residential yard.
Officers established a containment perimeter and began searching the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, the woman continued fleeing in the pickup before failing to negotiate a corner and crashing a short distance away, according to police. She reportedly attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended near the crash site.
Officers continued searching for the male suspect, eventually locating him hiding inside a recreational vehicle near NE Mountain Ash Road. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Police reported that neither suspect nor any responding officers were injured.
Stolen motorcycle confirmed; additional charges pending
During the subsequent investigation, officers confirmed that the motorcycle involved in the initial pursuit had previously been reported stolen.
Both suspects were transported to the Crook County Jail, where they were lodged on charges that police said included felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer by vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude on foot, attempted assault on a public safety officer, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person.
Police did not identify either suspect in the initial release or specify which charges were lodged against each individual.
Additional charges related to the stolen motorcycle remain pending as the investigation continues.
The Prineville Police Department thanked the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police for assisting with the incident, along with residents in the affected neighborhoods for their patience and cooperation while officers searched for the suspects.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
