At
10:46 a.m. today, May 21, a man was reported inside Hirons, 185 E. 18th
Avenue, taking items and it was also reported he had a long knife strapped to
his hip. He was reported to be fighting with a loss prevention officer. The loss prevention officer last saw the suspect enter the
Amazon Slough near E. 17th and Oak Street, where EPD officers picked
up the trail. After following the suspect several blocks in the
slough they lost sight of him. After nearly an hour of searching for him
officers cleared from the scene having been unable to relocate him. The
slough in this area is contained by high concrete walls preventing easy
entry/exit and riddled with storm drain access.
At approximately 3:14 p.m. today, an individual called in
reporting there was a man in the slough near E. 17th and Oak Street
and that the man was requesting help getting out of the slough. He mentioned
the police had been chasing him earlier. Officers responded and set a
perimeter and again began pursuing the suspect through the slough. A
police K9 was used, as was an unmanned aerial vehicle, to assist in locating
the suspect who had secreted himself in a storm drain (approx. 24" in
diameter) under the roadway at E. 17th and Pearl Street. The
UAV was lowered into the drain from the street to prevent the suspect from
continuing to move away from officers. Ultimately the suspect elected to
surrender and crawled backwards for approximately 30 feet to exit the drain
where he was taken into custody. He was identified as Lucas Martin Ryan, age
29. Ryan was charged with Theft in the Second Degree, Escape and two warrants.
Eugene Springfield Fire assisted with equipment allowing the suspect to be extricated from the slough after he was taken into custody. ESFD paramedics checked the suspect for injuries and hypothermia before he was lodged at the jail.