Sandy MaloneRoseburg, OR – A long gunfight across a cow pasture between police and a car thief on Saturday was captured on video by a passerby (video below).
The incident began at about 6 p.m. on March 9 when 911 dispatchers received reports of a stolen car spotted at the Love’s truck stop on Interstate 5, KATU reported.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the vehicle, which was stolen from Eugene on March 7, reportedly “contained multiple weapons and ammunition, to include a semi-automatic rifle.”
Douglas County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers responded and arrived at the truck stop just as the suspect was leaving, KATU reported.
The suspect fled, and a short pursuit ensued that ended when the suspect got his car stuck in a cow field.
Video captured by a passerby showed the suspect opening fire on police vehicles behind him.
“It was a dead-end road, there was nowhere to exit or any place to go, and we watched him get stuck, kind of spin it around, and that’s when he opened fire on the officers,” Julie McCartt told KATU. “It was just extremely shocking.”
In the video, cows in the field took off at a run when the shooting started.
Officers returned fire, and there was a lengthy gun battle as the suspect’s car began smoking and eventually caught fire.
Authorities “later confirmed the presence of human remains in the vehicle,” according to KATU.
No law enforcement officers were injured during the gun battle; however, all whom were involved in the officer-involved shooting have been placed on administrative leave, as per protocol.
Roseburg police are the lead agency in the investigation, and are being assisted by the Douglas County Major Crimes team.
Investigators were trying to identify the person who was found in the burnt-out car, KATU reported.
You can see the video below: