Chase ends in shooting incident

A police pursuit of a 24-year-old fugitive ended with a shooting incident on Ivy Lane east of Sisters early Saturday morning, September 27.

According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reports, the incident began Friday night when Bend Police officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute in the area of 3rd Street and Yew Lane in Bend.

The officers spotted a white 1997 Nissan Altima leaving the scene and gave chase. The suspect eluded the officers.

Later, at about 3 a.m., the sheriff's office requested that Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Police officers respond to the area of Sisters Middle School, where there was a report of a fight.

Arriving on scene, a BBR officer spotted the 1997 Nissan Altima leaving the area. When the officer turned his patrol car around to follow the vehicle, the Altima accelerated and fled at high speed.

The officer pursued the suspect eastbound on Highway 20, then northbound on Cloverdale Road. The suspect turned east on Ivy Lane, going off-road and into a private driveway.

The suspect tried to turn around and his car got stuck in the brush. The BBR officer caught up and approached the suspect vehicle on foot.

According to sheriff's office reports, the suspect vehicle got traction and accelerated toward the officer, who fired on the vehicle.

The suspect drove around the officer and back out onto Ivy Lane. The officer got back into his car and gave chase, as another BBR officer approached from the opposite direction.

As the suspect approached the oncoming BBR unit, he veered off the road and hit a juniper tree.

Officers, assisted by a sheriff's deputy, apprehended the driver, Matthew Paul Forster, and his passenger, Nathan Wright Renthal, 21, without further incident.

The wee-hours mayhem was a rude awakening for residents of the quiet Cloverdale neighborhood.

"It was exactly 3 a.m. we were awakened by multiple sirens -- it sounded like two," said local resident Katie Cavanaugh. "Then we heard four gunshots and a large boom, which was obviously him (the suspect) hitting the tree."

Cavanaugh said, "we heard police officers yelling for them to get down and to put their hands out and to 'Do it now!' Do it now!'"

Cavanaugh said she later saw at least one bullet hole in the suspect's car, in the front quarter of the passenger's side window.

According to sheriff's office reports, neither the driver nor the passenger was wounded in the shooting. The driver allegedly sustained minor injuries in the crash.

According to sheriff's office reports, Forster tried to escape from St. Charles Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries, but police officers quickly apprehended him.

Forster was lodged in Deschutes County Jail on multiple charges: felony attempt to elude a police officer (two counts); three counts of recklessly endangering; two counts of reckless driving; one county of criminal trespass; one count of criminal mischief; one count of attempted escape and three felony warrants.

Renthal, the passenger, was arrested and lodged in jail on one count of possession of a controlled substance. The incident is under investigation by the sheriff's office, with assistance from the Oregon State Police and under the direction of the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office. The BBR officer involved in the shooting was placed on paid administrative leave as per procedure in officer-involved shootings.