SALEM, Ore. – A Salem man with "a mixed martial arts build" who screamed that his wife had been kidnapped by the FBI and threatened to kill sheriff's deputies was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, authorities said.
Joshua Shepherd, 41, was seen running from the scene of a car crash at the intersection of Lancaster Drive NE and Monroe Avenue on Friday afternoon, according to Sgt. Chris Baldridge with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses said Shepherd began yelling wild accusations and taking off his clothes as he ran away. One witness said Shepherd left a large butcher knife in the car.
A deputy found Shepherd near the crash scene wearing only mixed martial arts style fighting shorts, Baldridge said.
Deputies described Shepherd as 6 feet tall, "with broad shoulders, very little body fat and bulky muscles," according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
"When the lone deputy first arrived Mr. Shepherd would only lay down on the ground and refused to follow the command to place his hands behind his back," Baldridge said in a news release. "The deputy stated that he felt as though Mr. Shepherd was attempting to bait him into coming closer."
When the deputy told Shepherd he was under arrest and that he was going to be tazed if he did not follow directions, Shepherd threatened to kill the deputy if he came any closer, Baldridge said.
Three more deputies and a K-9 unit were called to the scene. Deputies called for more backup to control the growing crowd around the confrontation.
"Out of all of the calls I have been on this guy truly scared me," an unidentified deputy said in the news release from the sheriff's office. "This guy had that mixed martial arts build to him, it was obvious that he was capable of hurting all of us."
The deputy described Shepherd as lifting himself in a plank-style approximately 1 inch off the ground and holding himself in that position, Baldridge said.
Once four deputies and the K-9 were ready, they began to take Shepherd into custody. One officer approached and touched Shepherd's foot with his foot to gauge his reaction. Shepherd immediately tried to spin around and attack the deputies, Baldridge said.
The K-9 bit Shepherd and deputies took him into custody.
Shepherd continued to threaten and resist deputies and medics after he was in custody, said Baldridge. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and a mental health evaluation.
Shepherd was cited for hit-and-run, resisting arrest and driving on a misdemeanor suspended license. His wife was not kidnapped, Baldridge said.
The sheriff's office released a video of Shepherd being taken to the hospital (WARNING: The video contains profanity).
The officers who captured Shepherd said they used special techniques used in crisis intervention training, and it really helped in this case. A big part of crisis intervention involves talking softly with a suspect, calling them by their first name, and staying a distance away.
