Armed Barricaded Suspect Identified And Taken Into Custody After Reckless Car Chase

Portland, Ore – The armed barricaded suspect who led law enforcement on a reckless car chase early this morning has been identified as 41-year-old Ryan Douglas Vanhorn. The incident, which involved a series of dangerous maneuvers and a tense standoff, concluded with Vanhorn’s apprehension and subsequent transport to an area hospital for evaluation.

The chain of events began at 12:08 a.m. when an officer assigned to the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) East Precinct stolen vehicle operation attempted to stop a car being driven recklessly near the intersection of Northeast Glisan Street and Northeast 99th Avenue. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Vanhorn, evaded the officer’s attempt to stop him, prompting the PPB Air Support Unit to join the operation.

Vanhorn continued to drive recklessly through the streets of east Portland, at times turning off his lights, running red lights, and even driving the wrong way on Northeast Weidler Street. Despite law enforcement not actively pursuing him, Vanhorn’s dangerous driving persisted as he ventured into the city of Gresham and nearly reached Troutdale before reversing course towards Portland.

Law enforcement deployed spike strips in an attempt to halt Vanhorn’s fleeing vehicle near Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast 223rd Avenue. However, Vanhorn managed to evade the spike strips and continued to flee. Officers later successfully boxed in Vanhorn’s car in the vicinity of Northeast Glisan Street and Northeast 165th Avenue, bringing the pursuit to a dramatic standstill.

In a tense moment following the successful intervention technique, Vanhorn was observed by an officer pointing a firearm at his own head. Officers swiftly retreated to cover and initiated a dialogue with Vanhorn, who made threats against law enforcement and expressed suicidal intentions. Recognizing the escalating danger, authorities summoned the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) to the scene.

For the safety of nearby residents, the incident commander utilized the Public Alerts system to advise them to stay indoors and secure their doors. The precautionary measure was taken as law enforcement worked diligently to defuse the situation.

After hours of negotiation and careful tactics, law enforcement successfully took Vanhorn into custody at 5:32 a.m. He was subsequently transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Once cleared, Vanhorn will be transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center to face charges related to the incident.

As the ordeal came to an end, the shelter-in-place directive for area residents was lifted, and roadways in the vicinity resumed normal traffic flow.

The Gresham Police Department, having taken over the investigation due to their officer’s initial involvement, is expected to charge Vanhorn with multiple offenses, including Eluding a Police Officer, Reckless Driving, and 10 counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.