Medford's Crisis Negotiation Team weighs in on day-long standoff

MEDFORD, Ore. —New details are emerging Friday, following yesterday’s day-long Medford standoff. Police have released the name of the suspect.

“It was an all-day event, so there were businesses disrupted and traffic disrupted and people’s live disrupted a little bit,” said MPD Lt. Rebecca Pietila.

It all started Thursday around 7 am when police say 37-year-old Daniel Ryan Tiger crashed a stolen vehicle in the area of Crater Lake Avenue and Jackson Street, in Medford. Police pulled him over in west Medford where he reportedly gave false information, then rammed into a patrol car and drove away.

After crashing again, he ran into this industrial complex on Lars Way and Brian Way.

“Multiple witnesses were reporting he was armed with a firearm and went into an industrial complex,” said Lt. Rebecca Pietila.

He barricaded himself in the warehouse for most of the day.

“He did fire rounds in which case, we backed out of that area and waited so we had the area surrounded we knew he was in there no was no other employee in danger so we kinda waited that out. The biggest concern was public safety, we wanted to ensure that he didst become an active threat to the community,” said Lt. Pietila

The suspect has multiple outstanding felony warrants, including a parole violation out of Ohio, and a weapons offense in California. That prompted MPD’s SWAT, the team, K9s, and the Crisis Negotiation Team.

“When we get activated or respond to certain situations is usually because someone is in crisis whether it’s a mental crisis barricaded suspect, or disturbed state of mind,” said Officer Vega, with the Crisis Negotiation Team.

Officer Arturo Vega heads MPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team of 7. It’s made up of school resource officers, detectives, livability team officers, and patrol officers.

“We ended up talking to him over the phone for almost 7 and a half hours, different verbal tactics that we used de-escalation tactics to try and persuade him to do certain things and we were successful at it,” said Officer Vega.

Around 4:30, Tiger surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Officer Vega says it highlights the importance of the team.

“Sometimes it takes 7 and a half hours to convince someone to come out and lucky for us and for the suspect he was willing to come out without anybody getting hurt,” said Officer Vega.

Tiger is facing multiple charges. Some of those include unlawful use of a weapon, hit and run, and felon in possession of a firearm.