Linn County Sheriff Jim Yon reports his deputies were involved in a pursuit yesterday morning at 9:02 a.m. Deputies contacted a male in a parked vehicle near the intersection of High Deck road and Cascadia drive in Cascadia. Deputies recognized him as David Russell Coats ,36, of Sweet Home, who is wanted on several outstanding warrants, including Robbery in the First Degree and pending charges from additional cases.
The deputy told Coats to step out of the vehicle, Coats put the vehicle in reverse and rammed the front of the deputy’s patrol vehicle twice, before fleeing. Deputies pursued Coats onto Highway 20, where speeds reached 90 mph. Deputies momentarily lost sight of Coats after he turned onto Latiwi Creek road. A quarter-mile up Latiwi Creek road, deputies found the vehicle had rolled over. They looked in the vehicle, but found he had already fled the scene. Deputies, including a K-9 unit looked for him for over two hours, but were unable to locate him. He was last seen wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt.
The deputies in the rammed vehicle were not injured and it is unknown if Coats sustained any injuries. The vehicle Coats was driving was a 2008 gold Chevrolet Equinox and was later found to be stolen from the Sweet Home area.
Sheriff Yon would like to warn the public not to approach Coats. Anyone who believes they see him or has any information on Coats’ whereabouts please call (541) 967-3911.