Arrested Bend Police Officer Gets Office Duty

Bend Police Officer Buck Church was placed on administrative office duties Tuesday while two investigations proceed into allegations he tried to elude police on a motorcycle at speeds topping 80, perhaps 100 mph.

Church will not be assigned “routine patrol duties … until our internal investigation (and) the criminal investigation is completed,” Police Chief Andy Jordan said in a news release.

The Oregon State Police will conduct the criminal investigation, while Bend police handle the internal probe.

“These two investigations are similar in nature but not dependent on each other,” Jordan said.

“The difference between the two investigations is that in a criminal investigation, Officer Church has all of the constitutional safeguards as any criminal defendant would have,” Jordan continued.

“Officer Church may be compelled to cooperate and answer questions by internal investigators,” the police chief said.

“Any information received during the course of the internal investigation may not be used in the criminal case,” Jordan said, “although Officer Church still maintains ‘due process’ rights afforded by Oregon law and labor contract.”

The 12-year veteran of the Bend police force was arrested by OSP troopers Friday afternoon near Santiam Pass, accused of speeding on his motorcycle away from a pursuing trooper at speeds possibly topping 100 mph, with his teen daughter riding on the back.

Jordan confirmed to KTVZ.COM Mondaythat Buckley Duane Church II, 38, who was arrested on several charges, including felony attempt to elude police. He has been with the department since September 1995.

Jordan said helearned of the arrest over the weekend.

“We will conduct a separate internal investigation to determine if any of our policies have been violated,” said Jordan, adding that Church joined the force on Sept. 12, 1995 and is from a Lake County ranching family.

“I don’t know enough about it” to comment further, Jordan said. “I don’t want to make any preconceived notions. We’ve got to treat him like anyone else.”

Jordan noted that Church, who also is the handler of police K-9 Kai, was the Bend Police Officers Association (union) president several years ago, when fellow Officer Al Campbell was accused of excessive force when he shot and killed Adam Gantenbein.

Ruling on a wrongful-death civil rights lawsuit, a federal jury decided in 2001 that Campbell did not use excessive force when he killed Gantenbein after the drunken 21-year-old rammed his patrol car on snowy Third Street in February 1999.Campbell later was terminated from the police force.

Hoping to find more witnesses to the chase, troopers releasedphotos Sunday related to the Friday afternoon incident on Highways 126 and 20 near Santiam Pass.

Troopers said they believe there may have been peoples in at least seven other vehicles who witnessed the incident and can provide information as part of the investigation.

Around 4:40 p.m. Friday, troopers and Linn County sheriff’s were conducting an interagency traffic safety enforcement patrol in the area of Santiam Pass, said OSP Sgt. Craig Flierl of the agency’s Albany office.

Flierl said he was westbound in a marked OSP Dodge Charger on Highway 126 near Milepost 2 when he spotted the eastbound motorcycle with two occupants and obtained a radar reading of 81 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Flierl turned around to stop the blue 2005 Yamaha FJR 1300cc motorcycle and saw it accelerate quickly eastbound.

While trying to overtake the motorcycle, it was seen making a pass in a no-passing zone before merging onto Highway 20 eastbound as Flierl continued the pursuit, with lights and siren activated.

Witnesses later said they thought the speeding motorcycle was going to crash as it merged onto Highway 20 from Highway 126 with police in pursuit.

Flierl said the motorcycle may have passed seven to 11 vehicles in the area at speeds believed to be above 100 mph. OSP is interested in talking to any witnesses that were in those vehicles, he said.

Flierl was able to get the motorcycle stopped without further incident on Highway 20 near Milepost 73 and contacted Church, whose 16-year old daughter was the passenger. They were wearing blue and white helmets at the time of the incident.

Church was taken into custody for felony attempt to elude a police officer, reckless driving, and recklessly endangering another person. He was also cited for violating the basic rule (81 mph in a 55 mph zone) and unlawful pass in a no-passing zone.

Church was lodged in the Linn County Jail and released Friday night on a citation to appear in court, a jail officer said. His daughter was released to her stepmother, Flierl said.

OSP Lt. Gregg Hastings said troopers “became aware of (Church’s occupation) at some point in time during the contact and did notify a Bend supervisor of the incident” on Friday.

Anyone with information regarding this incident, which lasted about 2 1/2 miles, is asked to contact Sergeant Flierl at (541) 967-2114.