A Sweet Home man was arrested early Wednesday morning, Jan. 7, following a standoff that involved gunfire and attempted flight by the suspect that resulted in a crash, and an arrest that required non-lethal force, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan said deputies responded at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, to a domestic disturbance in the 29200 block of Berlin Road, near Marks Ridge Drive, outside of Sweet Home.
According to Duncan, a female caller reported to the Linn County 911 Center that her spouse, later identified as James Clair Miller, 41, had assaulted her. As deputies were responding, the caller told the dispatcher she had four children with her, all under the age of 10 years old, in a vehicle, and Miller was last seen coming out of the shop holding a firearm.
Dispatch coached the female to leave the location with the children. During their attempt to leave in a vehicle, Miller shattered a window and fired rounds in an unknown direction, Duncan said.
The female and children walked down the long driveway where they met responding deputies. As the first arriving deputy secured the family at the end of the driveway, additional shots could be heard from somewhere on the property.
Miller’s location was unknown for several minutes until he began yelling and firing more rounds in unknown directions, causing deputies to evacuate nearby residences, and set up a perimeter.
Miller continued to wander around the property and frequently fired rounds into the air as deputies, Oregon State Police troopers, and Sweet Home police officers attempted to locate him. Law enforcement from multiple agencies also responded to assist with drones, as the property is in a very rural location, with a very long driveway, where terrain and structures made maintaining visual of Miller difficult.
The Linn County Regional SWAT Team responded with armored vehicles, in addition to members of Oregon State Police SWAT, to protect the public and law enforcement as they worked to locate Miller and take him into custody safely. Miller continued to walk around the property with several guns, firing more shots in the air, as well as setting off fireworks, which often could only be seen with the use of drones.
Miller attempted to take off from the property into the woods on an ATV, ultimately crashing and returning to the area of the residence. Deputies and troopers engaged with him at that point, but Duncan said Miller was “uncooperative,” causing law enforcement personnel to use non-lethal force, including sponge rounds and tasers, before taking Miller into custody on the ground.
He was treated by medics and transported to the Linn County Jail.
Deputies on scene, applied for and were granted a search warrant for the property. Thirteen firearms, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns, were seized, as well as live ammunition and spent casings that were scattered across the property.
Miller was lodged on charges of reckless endangering, assault IV-domestic (felony), menacing, unlawful use of a qeapon, contempt of court (for violating a restraining order) and criminal mischief I. Deputies are continuing to investigate.
“All law enforcement present exercised great restraint and professionalism during this very chaotic event, to take Miller into custody without using lethal force,” Duncan said. “The ability to see Miller with drones had a direct impact on law enforcement’s ability to assess Miller’s behavior and take him into custody with the least amount of force possible.”
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Oregon State Police, Corvallis Police Department, Albany Police Department, Sweet Home Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sweet Home Fire District.