GRANTS PASS, Ore. – An assault suspect who evaded capture Thursday is now in police custody.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety said on March 15 a man was seen fighting a woman while carrying a machete. Witnesses said the woman appeared to be injured and may have had blood on her.
The pair then reportedly got into a silver Toyota pickup truck and drove away before officers arrived.
Police said they spotted the truck in the Fruitdale area and tried to stop it. At that point, the driver was identified as 34-year-old Grants Pass resident Caleb N. Pratt. He refused to stop and led police on a high-speed chase until officers saw a school bus and terminated the pursuit.
GPDPS said they started looking along side streets on Rogue River Highway, working their way toward the city of Rogue River.
Eventually, a nearby resident told officers a silver truck was driving erratically in his neighborhood, pointing out where the truck was last seen.
When a deputy arrived at the location, he reported hearing a gunshot nearby. Other units responded and the truck Pratt was driving was found unoccupied.
The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office took over the scene on Greens Creek Road. They searched the area but couldn’t find Pratt or the woman. Police believed they fled into a nearby wooded area.
The next day, deputies saw Pratt outside his home in the 3000 block of Foothill Boulevard. Pratt went back inside the residence and refused to come out.
Given the heightened risk to deputies, they summoned the Grants Pass Department of Public SWAT Team at about 1:00 p.m.
With the assistance of negotiators, Pratt, along with a woman inside the residence, exited the home within an hour of GPDPS’s arrival. They were both taken into custody to be interviewed.
Both of them may face charges.
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