A Prineville man was arrested at gunpoint late Wednesday night after he was caught driving a stolen pickup and ran from deputies, according to the Jefferon County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Marc Heckathorn said the incident started around 11:45 p.m. when a deputy spotted a stolen vehicle south of Madras.
The call-in came back with a caution for an armed and dangerous subject.
The deputy called for backup and tried to conduct a high-risk traffic stop, Heckathorn said.
When the deputy turned on his lights, the suspect – 47-year-old Charles Christianson – sped away through Madras and east on Grizzly Road.
About a quarter-mile down the gravel portion of Grizzly Road, Christianson lost control of his vehicle and got stuck on the shoulder.
As the deputy pulled up, Christianson got out of the car and dropped some property before running south across Grizzly Road in the dark, where he fell down an incline off the south side of the shoulder.
Heckathorn said the deputy held the suspect at gunpoint until other deputies and a Madras Police Officer arrived to make the arrest.
Christianson was evaluated by an EMT and taken to St. Charles for an evaluation.
After he was released to the Jefferson County Jail, Christianson was charged with reckless driving, unlawful use of a vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of meth and other charges.
