Murder suspect rams police car, drives off after being shot by police
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- A stakeout for a man suspected in a fatal drive-by shooting transformed into mayhem on a residential Springfield street today as the suspect rammed his truck into a marked police car and officers responded with gunfire.
The police officer injured in the incident was treated and released from a local hospital.
Police worked through the night to locate two suspects in the drive-by shooting death of Wendy Jo Whitaker, who was found shot to death behind the wheel of her car on E Street in Springfield.
Ronald Joshua Smith, 27, was taken into custody Wednesday night and charged with murder
Officers watched several locations for a second suspect, Michael Wayne Wesley Jr., 27, who police believed took part in Wednesday's drive-by shooting.
Thursday morning at 10:53 a.m., officers spotted Wesley arriving at 1125 Hayden Bridge Road. Detectives in a marked Springfield police car attempted to contact Wesley.
Wesley rammed the marked car and a second unmarked car with his Ford Ranger pickup, pinning Officer Robert Weaver between the door and the frame of one of the cars.
Weaver, a 10-year veteran of the Springfield Police Department, fired his gun at Smith. Larry Turner, a 5-year veteran of the force, also fired.
Wesley was hit multiple times but managed to drive two blocks across front yards before crashing into a brick wall at the corner of 10th Street and Hayden Bridge. The unmarked police car followed him. Earlier witness accounts that the police car forced the truck off the road appear to be in error.
Wesley was transported to RiverBend hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.
Weaver was taken to McKenzie Willamette Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries and released.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave pending review by the Interagency Deadly Force Investigation Team.
This is the second officer-involved shooting in Lane County in less than a week. On Monday, sheriff's deputies exchanged fire with a suicidal subject who refused to drop his weapon, instead firing at deputies.
That case is also under review. | MORE
