Andrew Dehart suicided during a confrontation with Oregon State Police on October 29, 2015 during a car chase. He had been arrested at least eighteen times in Multnomah County for drug offenses since 2013 and had methamphetamine in his blood when he died.
Death of fugitive involved in U.S. 26 gun-battle chase ruled a suicide, doctor says
Suspect dies after gunfight with police during highway chase
DeHart reportedly shoved a handgun into the man’s mouth, saying he intended to “blow his head off.” He then helped tie up the man with an electrical cord as another person repeatedly stabbed him.
The victim suffered a cut to the right femoral artery, a collapsed lung and stab wounds, cuts and bruises to his head, torso, an arm, a leg and “other areas,” the probable cause affidavit reads. DeHart then told witnesses at the scene not to call police.
The victim was dumped at the emergency entrance driveway of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. He required nine pints of blood and twice nearly died during treatment.
A day earlier, DeHart had taken a woman against her will from that same Clark County home and demanded she recant statements made to police about a meth deal, the affidavit said. She was scheduled to testify in court in a meth-related case but recanted after receiving anonymous threats targeting her family.
Fugitive fires multiple times at police during extensive U.S. 26 chase
UPDATE: Fugitive shot by police after gun-battle chase on U.S. 26 dies, authorities say
7:23 a.m. UPDATE: Investigators reopened U.S. 26 in western Washington County. Drivers are no longer being directed onto a detour around the shooting scene.
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Authorities shot and wounded a fugitive late Wednesday night after the man fired multiple times at police over the course of 17 miles on U.S. 26., Washington County sheriff’s officials said.
Andrew G. Dehart, 36, was seriously wounded when he he was shot by police waiting at the east side of the Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel in western Washington County, according to a Thursday morning statement by the sheriff’s office.
Dehart was wanted for attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault related to an incident in Clark County, Washington.
Sgt. Bob Ray, Washington County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said the incident began Wednesday night in Seaside.
Dehart is accused of bolting in his 2000 Ford Ranger as U.S. Marshals Service members approached him Wednesday night at an acquaintance’s home in the Oregon coast city.
Oregon State Police and Marshals Service officers tracked down Dehart as he headed eastbound on U.S. 26 in the pickup truck.
Authorities were near milepost 22 when Dehart apparently spotted them and sped up, police said. At about milepost 25, police said Dehart began shooting at police from his truck.
Dehart shot at authorities over the course of 17 miles, at one point disabling a patrol car, according to Washington County officials.
Three law enforcement officers positioned further east were alerted to the highway shootings and exited their cars on the east side of the tunnel at milepost 41, about a mile west of the Oregon 47 intersection. They fired at Dehart as he approached.
Ray said the Washington County agency was alerted to the shootings at 10 p.m. He said no county officers were involved in the shooting.
Ray declined to identify which officers from which agencies — Oregon State Police or U.S. Marshals Service — fired on Dehart. “There were only two involved in this incident,” Ray said.
Dehart was taken to a Portland-area hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries. Ray declined to provide an update on Dehart’s condition.
No officers were injured in the pursuit.
Investigators have closed U.S. 26 between mileposts 38 and 43. Drivers moving west along U.S. 26 are being detoured off the road at Oregon 47. The road is expected to remain closed until 8 a.m.
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Fugitive dies after shootout during police chase down Hwy 26
Highway 26 was closed after the shooting.
A man wanted for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault was shot and killed by police after a chase on Highway 26 Thursday.
Andrew DeHart, 36, suffered life-threatening injuries when officers shot at his pickup, according to the sheriff’s office. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
No law enforcement officers were hurt in the incident. Deputies closed down a 20-mile stretch of Highway 26 overnight for an investigation.
DeHart was wanted on attempted murder, kidnapping and first-degree assault for an incident out of Clark County, Washington.
U.S. Marshals tracked him to a house in Seaside where he was staying with an acquaintance. Officials said DeHart drove off in his Ford Ranger pickup before their backup arrived to help carry out an arrest.
The marshals and state troopers were following DeHart on Highway 26 eastbound. Officials said he apparently saw the law enforcement vehicles around milepost 22, and started to pull away from the pursuing police.
DeHart started firing at the pursuing officers. The gunfire disabled one of the patrol vehicles, the sheriff’s office said.
Three officers set up ahead of DeHart on the east side of a tunnel near milepost 41. Officials said they fired at DeHart, which stopped the truck.
DeHart was taken to the hospital where he later died of his injuries. Officials haven’t specified what injuries DeHart sustained in the incident.
DeHart’s family told KATU he was loved and will be missed but they were declining interviews.
DeHart has been arrested several times for felonies in Multnomah County, including intimidation, animal abuse, resisting coercion and menacing.
According to court documents, the case against DeHart started at a Vancouver home Oct. 8.
Police said DeHart and his co-defendant Michael Conley kidnapped a man and woman. They’d allegedly lured victim Patrick Lenhart to the house offering to sell him meth. Instead, they tied him up, beat and stabbed him, trying to sidetrack testimony in a drug case.
Someone else shoved Lenhart out of a car and onto the driveway at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center’s emergency room that night.
DeHart had been on the run since then until the chase that eventually ended his life.
Conley also has a long list of arrests in Clark County. He’s already made his first court appearance on a charge of first-degree murder.
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Autopsy shows suspect in US 26 police chase killed himself
The suspect who died after a police chase on Highway 26 last week during which he shot at police killed himself, the medical examiner confirmed Tuesday.
Andrew DeHart died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to Dr. Larry Lewman with the state medical examiner’s office.
DeHart was wanted for attempted murder and police were trying to capture him when the chase began near Seaside on October 28. Police say DeHart’s shots during the 17-mile chase disabled a police car but no officers were injured.
The chase ended at a tunnel at milepost 41 in the Coast Range. Dehart died at a hospital late the next morning. Officers fired at DeHarl, but Lewman said it was actually his own bullet that killed him. Lewman conducted the autopsy that confirmed the cause of death.
DeHart was wanted out of Clark County for attempted murder, kidnapping and first-degree assault in a violent attack on a man in Vancouver. Court documents say he brutally beat the man inside his home and threatened him with a gun shoved inside his mouth. DeHart was considered armed and dangerous.
U.S. Marshals found DeHart at a friend’s home in Seaside on the night of Wednesday, October 28, according to Sgt. Bob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. As backup officers were headed there, DeHart drove off in a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup and headed east on U.S. 26.
At about milepost 22, Dehart spotted police and started speeding away. Some three miles later, he opened fire at the pursuing police cars, disabling one of them. He continued shooting until he reached the tunnel at milepost 41 at around 10:20 p.m.
It was there, Ray said, that three officers who knew Dehart was approaching got out of their cars and positioned themselves on the east end of the tunnel. They opened fire on DeHart and his truck came to a stop.
According to court documents, DeHart was linked to a series of violent crimes in recent days.
In the Vancouver attack, DeHart reportedly shoved a handgun into the man’s mouth, saying he intended to “blow his head off.” He then helped tie up the man with an electrical cord as another person repeatedly stabbed him.
The victim suffered a cut to the right femoral artery, a collapsed lung and stab wounds, cuts and bruises to his head, torso, an arm, a leg and “other areas,” the probable cause affidavit reads.
DeHart told witnesses at the scene not to call police and helped dump the victim at the emergency entrance driveway of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, police said. The patient required nine pints of blood and twice nearly died during treatment.
A day earlier, DeHart had taken a woman against her will from that same Clark County home and demanded she recant statements made to police about a meth deal, the affidavit said. She was scheduled to testify in court in a meth-related case but recanted after receiving anonymous threats targeting her family.
Court records also show that DeHart has a lengthy criminal history spanning about 15 years.
a charming individual.
He was a good hearted man who had a horrific childhood, he could have been so much more, he didn’t deserve this , R.I.P oak,
You know what, he was a great man i would know since he is my uncle he helped me with my abusive father. He was not a bad man only a man that made some bad choices but, I know that everyone might say this but he will only be remember as the man who tried to save me during some hard times of abuse.
-Triston Ryan Haugen
biological son of Cassidy dehart and biological nephew of Andrew dehart
He was a amazing man, just had a bad childhood. He was and always will be the love of my life and he will forever be with me. Yes he could be a bad man at times or put himself into a position he shouldn’t be around but Andy was the type to always have his family and friends back. People may say im crazy to feel this way about this kind of man, BUT no one but Andy and I new what he was like when he was tired of it all and would come to me as I was a safe place for him. He is now with the angels and I will see him someday, so for now he will be in a charm around my neck. Love you Andy
He was definitely a good dude I have much love and respect for him he definitely was a ride for his friends and family RIP bro you will forever be missed