Oregon bicyclist leads police on slow-speed chase

Summary

A bicyclist led a state trooper on a 5-mile, slow-speed chase on Highway 58 east of Eugene, prompting troopers to set up a roadblock and tackle the cyclist to make him stop. Officers arrested the bicyclist a half hour after officers first tried to pull him over.

Story Created: Oct 3, 2008 at 2:16 PM MDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 4:18 AM MDT

Oregon bicyclist leads police on slow-speed chase

EUGENE, Ore. -- A bicyclist led a state trooper on a 5-mile, slow-speed chase on Highway 58 east of Eugene, prompting troopers to set up a roadblock and tackle the cyclist to make him stop.

Oregon State Police Trooper Steve Thrapp responded to a report of a bicyclist wearing dark clothes and riding without lights at 7:20 a.m. this morning. Thrapp located the cyclist 16 miles east of Eugene riding west in the eastbound lanes on a mountain bike.

The cyclist did not respond to Thrapp's overhead lights and siren and instead weaved back and forth across the road, according to state police. Traffic backed up behind the patrol car as Thrapp followed the bicyclist.

Thrapp called for assistance, and Tooper Casey Codding and recruit Cale Day set up a roadblock 11 miles east of Eugene.

When the bicyclist attempted to ride around the patrol car, Codding tackled the bicyclist to make him stop.

Officers arrested the bicyclist, Robert James Frank, 39, of Eugene, for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and failing to obey a police officer around 7:50 a.m., a half hour after officers first tried to pull him over.

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