PORTLAND, Oregon — Oregon State Police released dashcam and bodycam video of a high-speed chase and shootout along Interstate 5 near Eugene. In April, police issued an Amber Alert as they searched for a double murder suspect who had abducted a 1 -year-old child.
The videos and police reports became public after the Linn County district attorney wrapped up his investigation. District Attorney Doug Marteeny found the officers involved, including Oregon State Police Superintendent Casey Codding, were legally justified in shooting; the suspect, Elias Huizar, 39, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after crashing his car.
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On April 23, Oregon State Police troopers spotted Huizar driving a silver Toyota Corolla along Interstate 5 southbound. The former police officer was suspected of murdering two women in central Washington, then abducting his 1-year-old son.
Dash cam video shows the high-speed pursuit, which reached speeds near 100 miles per hour along the interstate. Just north of Exit 209, police tried to rear-end Huizar’s vehicle, but the suspect drove off. Police tried to ram Huizar’s car again, but he didn’t stop despite damage to the vehicle.
Seconds later, there was an exchange of gunfire. Huizar stuck a handgun out of his open driver’s side window and fired, according to police reports. Sgt. Orly “OJ” Johnson and Superintendent Casey Codding pulled their handguns and fired several rounds. Nobody was hurt during the initial shootout.
The chase continued on I-5 southbound until Huizar crashed his vehicle a few miles away. When police caught up with him, they found the suspect dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers pulled the 1-year-old from the vehicle, who was uninjured.
In addition to the videos, investigators also released 85 pages of police reports. The documents indicate that prior to the chase along Interstate 5, police and the FBI had tracked Huizar to the Portland area after he used his bank card at an ATM. A convenience store clerk also spotted him.
The police reports indicate Huizar swapped out license plates with stolen plates to avoid getting caught. Local police and the FBI did not want the Amber Alert updated with the stolen plate information, fearing Huizar would just steal another plate, preventing law enforcement from tracking him down.