K-9 Takes Down Wanted Man Who Followed Cop in Circles

The suspect refused to comply until Nero arrived on the scene.

1999 mugshot of John Bailey Photo: Clackamas County Sheriffs Office

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - An off-duty female deputy says she was on her way home Friday night when she discovered she was being followed - for a considerable amount of time, by a lone man driving a maroon Suburban near SE 82nd and Causey Avenue.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Spokesman Jim Strovink says the deputy became concerned, and used her cell phone to report the ongoing situation to the Clackamas County Communications Center (CCOM).

"The deputy reported that she was trying to make her way home and was being followed by what appeared to be a male subject, in his 50's, with a white beard," Strovink said.

"She said that he was following her as she drove in circles, and had actually pulled along side her vehicle at one point during this ordeal and just stared at her. He followed her an estimated 15-minutes." He says the off-duty Clackamas County Corrections deputy was armed at the time.

At 8:33 PM, two Clackamas County Sheriff's Patrol Deputies arrived in the area of the Winco parking lot on SE 82nd. They say they watched the suspect Suburban vehicle pull-up directly behind the off duty corrections deputy and continue to follow her throughout the parking lot.

Strovink says the suspect then noticed that the Clackamas County Sheriff's Patrol vehicles had arrived on the scene, and he left the area at a high rate of speed, northbound, through an alley way alongside Winco, located at 11250 SE 82nd, in Happy Valley.

"The Suburban fled the area and failed to comply with emergency lights activated, engaging Deputies in a brief pursuit. The suspect vehicle lost control on nearby SE Boyer Drive and crashed sideways into a tree."

He says the driver continued to be non-compliant and refused to exit his crashed vehicle for about 5 minutes. At times the suspect was observed to have been ‘reaching under his seat' and would not respond to the commands of the on scene sheriffs deputies.

Nero is the K-9 that took down the suspect on scene.

When the man finally did get out of his vehicle, police say he attempted to reach back inside his vehicle – against commands – and was subjected to less than lethal force and bean bagged by officers.

Still not complying, Strovink says the on scene K-9, Nero, was deployed and applied the arresting bite to the suspects left leg enabling deputies to safely wrap up the arrest.

Strovink identified the suspect as 63-year old John K. Bailey, from Portland. He says he was intoxicated. Bailey was taken into custody and transported to Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital, in Portland, where he was treated for injuries received during this incident and remained as a patient earlier this morning.

The female deputy says she cannot be sure what John Bailey's intentions were, but was very grateful and relieved for the swift action of patrol deputies who were able to apprehend Bailey, safely, as he attempted to flee the area.

John Bailey was discovered to have an outstanding Driving under the influence felony warrant issued in Multnomah County.

In addition, Bailey will be charged in Clackamas County for the related charges of: Attempting to elude; Driving under the influence of intoxicants, a felony, and Driving while revoked, a misdemeanor.

Bailey has an established criminal history and multiple prior arrests for driving under the influence of intoxicants.