Jackson County, 27 June

A suspect was caught after repeatedly tried to escape the police, hitting a fence in a field, where he abandoned the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. After a brief confrontation, a suspect fled Medford Police Department in a white Toyota car in Jackson County on 27th June. The suspect’s car was described as driving “extremely recklessly” in two calls to Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (ECSO) Dispatch. The suspect’s car was characterized as “a hazard to anyone on the road” in the second report, which was made in Ashland along Dead Indian Memorial Road. The Ashland Police Department tracked down the suspect’s car and joined Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies in pursuit. Due to the threat to the public, law enforcement (LE) had to call off the pursuit many times. When LE called a halt to the pursuit, the suspect would pull over to the side of the road until LE re-engaged.

A JCSO deputy successfully deployed a spike strip on the suspect vehicle on Highway 66 outside of Ashland. LE kept their distance until the suspect drove through a fence into a field and escaped on foot at a 10.5-mile marker. Arthur Nalbandian, 38, the suspect, was immediately outpaced and apprehended. Nalbandian is being held in the Jackson County prison on charges of attempting to evade police via car, attempting to elude police on foot, driving while intoxicated DUII (narcotics), and two counts of reckless driving. The bail amount has been set at USD 100,000 (72,219 GBP).