Bend transient arrested in St. Charles knife incident

A 31-year-old transient who acted suspiciously at St. Charles Bend, pulled a knife and threatened to shoot security staff who pursued him to the hospital’s parking lot Thursday morning was found in the backyard of a northeast Bend home and taken into custody, police said.

The man was found to have a knife, they said, but no gun was located.

The incident began around 6:45 a.m., when two hospital security officers found Ryan Simpson inside the facility, acting suspiciously, said Lt. Clint Burleigh.

When they contacted him, he ran into a bathroom, and security staff followed, Burleigh said. As they talked to him, he was recognized as possibly matching the description of a suspect in a recent crime in the Redmond area, the lieutenant added, declining to be more specific due to the ongoing investigation.

According to Burleigh, the man said he had a car in the parking lot and they all walked to the front entrance, Burleigh said. The staff followed Simpson to the parking lot, at which point he began to run.

The two security staff followed Simpson, at which time he pulled a large knife that had been concealed in his clothing, Burleigh said. The security officers continued following, at a safe distance, and Simpson allegedly turned and threatened them by putting his hand in his pockets and “threatened to shoot both security staff, at which point they disengaged.”

Just before 8 a.m., Bend police, Oregon State Police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies located Simpson in the backyard of a home near Northeast Williamson Boulevard and Paula Drive, Burleigh said. They were able to take Simpson into custody without further incident, he added.

Simpson, who faces a weapons offense, was taken to St Charles Bend, then later to the Deschutes County Jail, where he was held without bail on a parole violation and faces numerous charges, from criminal mischief and burglary to theft, ID theft and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Burleigh said many more charges are expected, including from Redmond, as well as involving break-ins to vehicles parked at the Bend hospital.

A knife was recovered in the area of the arrest, but no firearm has been found, Burleigh said. More details will be released later, but the lieutenant added that police are “not aware of any current danger or threats to the community stemming from this incident.”

Bend police also thanked the sheriff’s office and OSP for their assistance in locating Simpson.