Wednesday at around midnight, officers with the Ashland Police Department responded to the 100 Block of 5th St. to a report of a subject yelling and screaming in the area. While checking the alley behind that block two of the officers saw a man, partially clothed with his penis exposed, in the back yard of one of the houses screaming and yelling.
When they tried to contact him he turned and walked around the house away from them and walked toward an officer on the other side of the house. That officer saw the suspect and yelled for him to stop. The suspect continued to approach the officer and began yelling at him. The officer noticed the suspect had a two foot long set of pruning shears in his hand.
The suspect walked toward the officer and when he reached a 3 foot high picket fence that separated them, he began shaking the fence. Then the suspect broke one picket off the fence and climbed over the fence. The suspect continued to advance on the officer and raised the pruning shears in a threatening manner as he approached the officer while continuing to yell and scream. Fearing for his safety the officer retreated into the street with his firearm and pepper spray pointed at the suspect.
One of the original officers on scene arrived and pointed his taser at the suspect and told him that the taser would be used if he did not stop and drop the pruning shears. The suspect turned around; either because of the warning or the fact that the laser from the taser was on his chest, and started walking back toward the house while still holding the pruning shears.
Since the suspect failed to comply, and the fact that he still had the pruning shears in his hand demonstrated that he was a clear threat to officers and anyone in the house the officer with the taser fired at the suspect hitting him in the back. The suspect dropped the pruning shears and fell to the ground.
After the 5 second taser cycle was finished the suspect got back up and ran to the front door of the house breaking the taser wires so the taser could not be activated again. He entered the house after breaking down the door. When officers tried to follow they were confronted by other residents who refused to allow the officers to enter.
While officers were dealing with residents at the door the suspect jumped out of a window. Officers chased him but lost him during the pursuit. A search of the area was conducted by officers and a police K9 but the suspect could not be found.
The suspect is described as a white male 25 – 35 years old approximately 5’10” to 5’11”, 160 -180 lbs, several days’ growth of facial hair, wearing a gray sleeveless shirt and sweatpants or hospital scrubs. Pending charges include assault 1st degree, assault on a public safety officer, burglary 1st degree, criminal mischief 2nd degree, disorderly conduct, and menacing. Anyone with information should call the Ashland Police Department at (541) 482-5211.
-from press release
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