Ontario man arrested after Redmond police pursuit

A 24-year-old Ontario, Oregon man refused to pull over for a traffic stop in southwest Redmond and led police on a high-speed chase for several miles early Thursday, trying to hit an Oregon State Police car head-on and ramming a Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies parked car, authorities said.

The driver abandoned his pickup but was found in a search by a sheriff’s K-9 and arrested, they added.

Shortly before 2 a.m., a sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a 2003 Ford F-350 pickup for a traffic violation in the area of Southwest Highland Avenue and Rimrock Way, said Sgt. Aaron Harding. The driver, later identified as Garrett Victor Leeper, refused to pull over and instead continued west on Highland, speeding up in an attempt to elude the deputy, Harding said.

A pursuit was initiated and continued for several miles, at speeds of up to about 80 mph, the sergeant said.

During the pursuit, Leeper tried to hit an OSP car head-on and rammed a sheriff’s deputy’s parked car while trying to escape, Harding said.

Redmond police officers and OSP troopers responded to the area, along with more sheriff’s deputies, and a search turned up the abandoned pickup in the area of Northeast 33 rd Street and Walnut Avenue.

Leeper was located with the help of sheriff’s K-9 Ezel and taken into custody, Harding said. adding that more information will be released later.

Leeper was booked into the county jail in Bend late Thursday morning on two counts of attempting to elude police (by vehicle and on foot), two counts of second-degree attempted assault, reckless driving, two counts of recklessly endangering, first-degree criminal mischief, unauthorized use of a vehicle and two counts of attempted assault on a public safety officer. . His bail totaled $75,000, online jail records showed.