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Suspect Arrested For Damaging BPD, Police Chase

BEND, OR -- A 21-year-old Bend man was arrested Monday after allegedly damaging police property and leading officers on a chase that ended in a stand-off. 

 
Lt. Clint Burleigh says an officer going off duty at 2:15 a.m. reportedly saw a man striking a security keypad at the secured police parking lot. The officer tried to talk with the man, but he sped from the scene. Then, police found more damage and saw the suspect on surveillance footage, "He had put a piece of wood through the front doors of our lobby, to where it's like barricading us into our building. And, by damaging that security pad, it appears the attempt was to keep us from being able to leave." Burleigh tells KBND News they eventually identified the man as Samuel Wyatt Dennis, "He actually had made a phone call to Bend Fire and Rescue, making comments about wanting to 'burn this community down,' specifically; and there's also some threats against us."
 
Officers attempted to arrest Dennis at his home, but he took off, making it to George Millican road in Crook County before his car was disabled by spike strips. Then, Burleigh says, he refused to comply with orders or come out of his car, "We were out there for an hour and an half with the vehicle. We were negotiating with him with our crisis negotiators, and everything we were doing was trying to end the situation in a very safe manner." He adds, "He was not compliant with negotiators, with direction from our officers to give up, and we did use chemical agent. As as he was being taken into custody, he again would not listen to the directions of our officers, and he did suffer some minor injuries." Dennis was evaluated at the hospital before going to jail. 
 
Despite the nearly 90 minutes of negotiations, investigators don't know what set Dennis off, "Trying to figure out what the reasoning is behind it is something we'd love to find out," says Lt. Burleigh, "Not sure that we ever will. But, we are doing everything we can to figure that out." Dennis is charged with Criminal Mischief, Reckless Driving, Attempt to Elude, and Disorderly Conduct. He's due in court Tuesday afternoon.

 

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