John Russell shatters Portland police cruiser window, pepper spays officer inside, trove of weapons found in man’s car upon arrest. Suspect had been following officer’s car earlier.
A 41-year-old Portland, Oregon man is accused of breaking out the window of a Portland Police cruiser Sunday morning and spraying pepper spray inside the vehicle according to police.
John B. Russell upon his arrest was booked with assaulting a public safety officer, aggravated harassment, and first-degree criminal mischief.
A police brief told of an officer sitting inside the marked cruiser and doing paperwork near South Corbett Avenue and Lane Street when circa 9:40 a.m. someone walked up to the SUV, shattered the glass of the rear hatch, and pepper sprayed the interior.
The suspect then ran to a nearby car and drove away. The officer managed to broadcast the suspect’s description and Russell was pulled over about six blocks away, KATU reports.
But there was more to come.
Arsenal of weapons found
The officer recognized Russell’s vehicle as one that had been following him earlier, Portland Police said. When police searched the vehicle, they reportedly found a window punch tool, a laser pointer, a slingshot, rocks, and other items.
The incident led to Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell conceding the inherent violent nature of police work, particularly during the ongoing Portland riots.
‘As police officers, we know that the vast majority of community members who approach and contact us do so with no intention to do us harm,’ said Chief Chuck Lovell. ‘However, attacks like this one remind us all that there is the potential for people to try to take direct violent action against police officers. I applaud the officer for remaining calm and locating the involved subject and thank our investigators for furthering this investigation.’
Records show the defendant locked up at the Multnomah County Jail pending $15K bail.
