A wanted fugitive from Pennsylvania was arrested early today in Bend after his whereabouts were discovered after a 130 mph pursuit between the fugitive and Oregon State Police occurred. According to a press release from the Oregon State Police
“On August 15, 2011 at approximately 10:00 p.m. OSP Trooper Todd Burke stopped a vehicle for a speed violation on Highway 20E near milepost 33. As the trooper walked up to contact the driver, the vehicle sped away westbound with the trooper attempting to keep it in sight. Speeds reached near 130 mph until it slowed near milepost 11, turning left onto Rickard Road.”
The trooper lost sight of the vehicle but it was later spotted. The driver, who was later identified as Murphy, fled on foot and though Murphy was unable to be located, a handgun was found inside the vehicle.
The State Police received a tip that Murphy was still in the area. "Once the tip came in, an interagency team effort furiously rolled out that ultimately led OSP [Oregon State Police], DCSO [Deschutes County Sheriff's Office] and CODE [Central Oregon Drug Enforcement] detectives to where he was waiting for his girlfriend, but he got a little more than he expected when officers followed her," said the Oregon State Police Lieutenant, Carl Rhodes.
According to police Murphy was arrested in a mall parking lot across Highway 20 from the Deschutes County Jail and Oregon State Police office where he was awaiting his girlfriend, Ashley Kershner, 23, of Elizabethtown, Pa. after she was released from jail.
