Passing motorist helps stop assault on Redmond officer

Thanks in part to a passing motorist who stopped to help, a 22-year-old Redmond man was restrained and taken into custody Thursday after repeatedly punching an officer who responded to a call of the man’s threatening behavior at a downtown coffee shop, police said.

Police were dispatched shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday to Proust Coffee on Southwest Sixth Street after Deschutes County 911 got a call of a man yelling and cussing at customers and at people in a vehicle outside the business, Lt. Curtis Chambers said.

Initial reports indicated the man had left the shop, walking east. Officer Allen Speck responded to the call and looked for the suspect, also learning from the coffee shop’s owner that the man had threatened to assault customers, Chambers said.

Speck located the suspect, later identified as Trenton Yates, walking back toward the coffee shop and asked to talk with him, but he ignored the officer, the lieutenant said.

The officer then identified himself as a Redmond police officer and ordered the man to stop, which he declined to do.

At that point, Speck grabbed the suspect, again telling him to stop. Chambers said the man tried to swing a fist at the officer but was pushed to the ground by Speck. He then fell to ground with the suspect, who punched Speck in the head once or twice, according to Chambers.

A motorist driving by who witnessed the struggle, Travis Wilson, 38, of Sweet Home, pulled over, stopped and came to Speck’s aid, restraining Yates’ upper body, Chambers said. The suspect still was able to punch Speck at least twice more in the head, but the officer was able to reach his radio and call for help.

More officers quickly arrived and helped restrain Yates, whom they placed in the WRAP restraint device. Chambers said Yates was taken to St. Charles Redmond for evaluation, while Speck also went to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries to his head, face, arms and legs, as well as a mild concussion.

“The Redmond Police Department is extremely appreciative of Mr. Wilson’s help provided to Officer Speck, the police department, and the residents of the city of Redmond,” Chambers wrote in a news release.

“Mr. Wilson’s quick action in helping Officer Speck resulted in Officer Speck sustaining only minor injuries, and Yates being taken into custody without injury,” he added.

Yates remained Friday at St. Charles Redmond and had not been cleared by medical personnel for lodging at the jail, Chambers said. He said Yates will be taken to jail “or another secure facility after medical clearance is obtained.” Charges will be announced at that time.

Last year, Yates pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and was sentenced in December to 90 days in jail. He pleaded guilty in 2017 to unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

A jail officer said Yates recently was in jail for about a week as a sanction for a parole violation.