Bend 19-year-old arrested in domestic violence assault, threat with gun; gas station workers, citizen hold him for officers

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend 19-year-old assaulted a woman in a vehicle in a grocery store parking lot Thursday, threatened an acquaintance with a gun and ran from police, then attacked gas station workers who along with a community member detained him until officers arrived, police said.

Officers responded around 1:10 p.m. to a reported weapons offensive in the Safeway parking lot on NE Third Street, Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

The caller to Deschutes County 911 reported a man had assaulted a woman in a vehicle in the Safeway parking lot, then threatened the caller with a firearm.

Officers arrived about three minutes later and the suspect ran, Miller said.

During a brief pursuit on foot, officers followed the man to the Arco gas station at Third Street and Greenwood Avenue, where he allegedly assaulted gas station workers who tried to keep him from leaving. Miller said the employees and a community member kept the suspect from leaving until officers arrived to take him into custody,

Miller said another community member alerted officers to a pile of the man’s belongings that he’d tried to hide nearby. Police recovered a sub-compact Glock 26 pistol, a variety of drugs and packaging material commonly used for sales.

The suspect had a felony warrant from the Oregon Youth Authority for a probation violation on a second-degree burglary charge, Miller said.

He was taken to the county jail on suspicion of fourth-degree assault (domestic violence), two counts each of menacing and harassment, unlawful use and possession of a firearm and the felony warrant. He was being held without bail.

NewsChannel 21 policy is not to name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.