Benton Co. sergeant, Salem officer and suspect shot after car chase
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SALEM, Ore. -- A Benton County sergeant, Salem Police Department corporal and a trespassing suspect are recovering after a Saturday night car chase through Benton County ended in a shootout, the Benton County Sheriff's Office said.
Police said BCSO deputies responded to a 911 call from an Albany-area woman who said a man with a gun was in her backyard at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The caller said she knew the suspect.
The man left the address on NW Scenic Ave in a green Acura two-door that was reported stolen from Salem. Deputies and responding Salem Police officers attempted to stop the driver as he attempted to elude the enforcement vehicles on Highway 20.
Around 10 minutes later the suspect crashed the stolen car at the intersection of Springhill Drive and Independence Highway. He fled the crash scene on foot, hiding in heavy brush near the highway.
Police said the man opened fire when they tried to search for him. They returned fire, hitting the armed suspect multiple times.
Benton County Sergeant David Peterson and Salem Police Corporal Andrew Connolly were also shot during the exchange. They were taken to local hospitals with serious injuries.
The suspect was flown by air ambulance to OHSU in Portland, officials have not yet released his status. The Benton County Sheriff's Office identified him as a 32-year-old Hispanic man from California, but is waiting to release his name until they can notify his family.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Corporal Connolly and Sergeant Peterson for a complete and speedy recovery from their injuries," said Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore.
Peterson, 29, is in a Corvallis hospital recovering from his injuries. Connolly, 46, was treated and released from the hospital.
"We consider ourselves very fortunate that both Sergeant Peterson and Corporal Connolly survived this incident and we look forward to recovery and return to their careers," said Benton County Sheriff Diana Simpson.
Albany residents are also shaken up by the officer involved shootings.
"It kind of makes you feel uneasy," said Sandy Radford, a resident on NW Scenic Drive in Albany. "There we are very protected I feel like out here, and to have something like that happen in our neighborhood is a bit scary."
A big thank you to the officers who did their duty. Speedy recovery.
I'm wondering, why was the suspect in the back yard to begin with? What was the motive that started all this? Apparently the suspect was driving a stolen vehicle, so he was certainly up to no good.
No anti gun critique or did you finally figure it out baldr.
@POSTALONE Baldr only goes anti-gun if he thinks the shooter is a conservative, the California hispanic says this guy is a liberal, so Baldr will be silent.
@Baldr Odinson Love or Money.
@Fancy Jack Or drugs
I to would ask if this is a friendly fire accident and wonder why the cops would go earching in the brush knowing that the suspect had a gun. Someone screwed the pooch.
If he is hiding in the brush you have to search in the brush. Easy to critique from your recliner.
Obviously you have never done a search for a fugitive or you would know that first you contain and then you send in the dogs or a helicopter with a search light to blind him. You dont send in patrolman to get shot. You have watched to many movies from YOUR recliner and I have done the real deal buckwheat and these guys screwed the pooch.Â
@sjumper It is a reasonable critique from any position, both Officers were shot, which suggests that the suspect shot first, had his aim been better, both officers would be dead and we would have an armed and dangerous gunman at large. If there is a friendly fire component, then they absolutely demonstrated that they lacked the situational awareness to pursue an armed man into the brush. The woman knew the man in her back yard, so his trespass was not a random act, he did not break into her home and he could have, as the police are always minutes away when seconds count, so, he was not an imminent threat to her, although she did feel threatened, hence 911. A woman is involved, so emotions are involved. The Police knew who the suspect was, the high speed chase was the only direct threat to the populace, the proximity of the brush to a residential area may have forced their hand, as an armed man would have been seeking transportation. If the two officers pursued this individual because they believed that he was an imminent threat to others in the area and forced the confrontation to protect the citizenry, then they are to be commended for their bravery and respected as professionals. Prudence would have dictated a more secure approach for the Officers safety.
Well they connected some of the dots, but is this suspect and illegal alien, and if so are they going to tell us. I surely do hpe these officers will be ok. Still alot to learn about this case.
This is kind of confusing, Marion and Benton Counties have Polk County in between. There is a Scenic Drive out of Albany that could be in Benton County, and possibly back roads from there to Independence, where they pick up a Salem (Marion) County officer.  The article is really vague as to locations but sounds like the took the old Corvallis Albany Road. Confusing how the Marion County Officer got involved.Â
Why is Benton county involved? Salem is in Marion county. I am assuming that Salem is the right town?  Where is Paul Harvey at so we can get the rest of the story. Best wishes for the police officers.
@twhale What happened to Polk County, maybe they are out of money also and have no sheriff, or deputies. Either that or they were going so fast they got thru Polk County too soon. I hpe the officers are ok also.
Doesn't it seem odd that they handed this over to the State Police? I wonder if there was a "friendly fire" incident?
 @Panzer Multiple jurisdiction cases are often turned over to the state police, with this involving injured officers of more than one department it's not too surprising.
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System works.