The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to be on the lookout for man who a deputy pursued in Redmond late Wednesday night. Possible gunshots were also heard in the area where deputies lost track of him, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies are looking for Braxton Michael Monson. He is white, 36, approximately six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing dark jeans and hooded sweatshirt. He has a dark colored flower tattoo on his neck and various tattoos on his arms. His facial hair is not as full as in the photo above, the sheriff’s office said.
He’s known to frequent the Madras and Prineville areas. He may be armed, the sheriff’s office said, so the public should not approach him if they see him.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy tried to pull over a 1994 Toyota Camry for failing to stay in the correct lane near NE 5th Street and NE Maple Lane in Redmond around 10:48 p.m. Tuesday. The driver, identified as Monson, refused to pull over.
After a short chase, the deputy lost the Camry. Later, the deputy spotted the Camry again as the it pulled out in front of him in the same area, the sheriff’s office continued. The Camry eventually stopped and the driver took off on foot.
“At some point after the guy had taken off running, he heard what he thought could have been gunshots and some residents in the area said they thought they heard gunshots,” said sheriff’s office spokesman Jayson Janes.
Later, the deputy and residents heard what sounded like gunshots in the area where Monson allegedly ran, the sheriff’s office said. There were no reports of injuries and it’s not confirmed that gunshots were fired.
A search with at K9 and drones was unable to find Monson, the sheriff’s office said. The search is no longer active, but Monson remains at large.
Monson’s record spans back to 2002 with counts of drug and firearm possession as well as fleeing from law enforcement.
