FLORENCE, Ore. — On the night of October 9, Lane County deputies spotted a suspicious pickup truck parked along Herman Cape Road on U.S. Forest Service land north of Florence. The driver, 41-year-old Tyler Ashton Leavitt from Indiana, was wanted on an active warrant for Disarming Law Enforcement, Criminal Recklessness, and Resisting Law Enforcement.
When deputies tried to arrest Leavitt, he sped the truck toward one officer, striking a patrol car. A second deputy fired shots at Leavitt but missed. Fortunately, the first deputy dodged the vehicle and avoided injury.
A pursuit ensued as Leavitt tried to enter a driveway blocked by a locked gate. He reversed, rammed a patrol car behind him, and then crashed through the gate, causing significant damage. Leavitt then drove off-road through a fence back onto Herman Cape Road, where a deputy successfully used a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) to disable the pickup. Leavitt was taken into custody without further incident.
Leavitt is currently held in Lane County Jail and faces multiple charges including Fugitive from Justice, Attempt to Elude, Recklessly Endangering, Reckless Driving, Assault on a Public Safety Officer, Criminal Mischief in the 1st Degree, and Resisting Arrest.
