OSP: Pepper spray ends Roseburg parking-lot fugitive standoff

(Update: Details on incident; suspect’s name)

Troopers used pepper spray to arrest a Roseburg man on several warrants Thursday after a four-hour parking-lot standoff in the Green District of Roseburg that closed a highway in the area and brought Oregon State Police SWAT team members from Central Oregon and other locations, OSP reported.

Around 8:45 a.m., an OSP trooper spotted a 2000 Suzuki Utility vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Interstate 5 south of Roseburg. The trooper checked the speed of the vehicle at 89 miles per hour in a posted 65 mile per hour zone.

The Suzuki SUV driven by Russell Scott, 60, of Roseburg, stopped in a business parking lot near “M” Street and Old Highway 99 South in the Green District of Roseburg, troopers said.

The trooper realized that Scott had several warrants for his arrest and knew he was recently in a standoff with Sutherlin police.

The trooper tried to have Scott get out of the vehicle, but he refused to comply, troopers said.

More OSP troopers, including SWAT teams, were called to the scene, along with Douglas County sheriff’s deputies and Winston police.

OSP troopers communicated with Scott for nearly four hours, trying to get him to come out and surrender, without success.

Due to previous threats towards law enforcement the OSP Special Weapons and Tactical Team SWAT was dispatched to the incident. Once on scene, negotiations failed and SWAT introduced OC (pepper spray) projectiles into the vehicle. Scott finally complied and was taken into custody without further incident.

Scott was arrested and lodged at the Douglas County Jail on the following warrants: Failure to Appear (Burglary I, Resisting Arrest, Unlawful use of a Weapon and Criminal Mischief), Failure to Appear for Contempt of Court and Failure to Appear for a Failure to Appear.

Old Highway 99 was closed from Highway 42 to Ervin Avenue for about four 4 hours during the incident. Local businesses in the immediate area were closed during the period of time for safety reasons.

OSP was also assisted at the scene by Douglas County Fire District 2 and the Oregon Department of Transportation

OSP Capt. Bill Fugate said the man, believed to be armed, had threatened police before, and has a record with multiple felonies.

Around 1 p.m., troopers tweeted that the highway south of Roseburg had reopened after the wanted subject was taken into custody by SWAT teams.

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