JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Two people were arrested following a pursuit east of Medford.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said on October 14, a deputy saw a suspicious van parked at a church after hours. The vehicle immediately sped off when the deputy stopped. The driver, later identified as 35-year-old Christopher Michael Rock, swerved toward oncoming cars and law enforcement vehicles in the area. Officers lost sight of the vehicle in a nearby neighborhood.
Eventually, the van was seen on Arnold Lane. That’s when Rock drove his vehicle into a patrol car, causing minor damage. The deputy wasn’t injured.
Rock kept driving toward Old Stage Road. JCSO said at one point Rock’s passenger, 49-year-old Susan Anne Medcalf, threw a bicycle out of the van. Deputies were able to avoid getting hit.
The 19-mile pursuit finally ended after an unsuccessful attempt to cross railroad tracks off Gold Ray Road. Rock and Medcalf fled their disabled vehicle on foot. They were found a short distance away and taken into custody.
Rock was charged with attempting to elude police in a vehicle and on foot, reckless endangering, hit and run, trespassing and two counts of criminal mischief.
Medcalf was charged with trespassing and five counts of reckless endangering.
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