Beaverton Police Chase Bodycam: Is Attempting to Elude a Felony in Oregon?

A late-night traffic stop attempt in Beaverton, Oregon turned into a chase, a crash and a foot search with a police dog. The Beaverton Police Department released the body camera footage itself, and it's now one of the most-watched local bodycam clips of the week.

The case also lines up with a question people type into Google all the time: is attempting to elude a felony? In Oregon, the answer depends on whether someone keeps driving or gets out and runs. This explainer covers what police have said about the Beaverton stop and how Oregon's eluding, reckless driving and DUII laws work. It's general information, not legal advice. Everyone mentioned is presumed innocent, and the charges below are booking charges, not convictions.

What happened, according to police

The facts below come from KPTV FOX 12 (Nov. 3, 2026), which cites the Beaverton Police Department.

• The attempted stop. On Sunday, Nov. 1, at about 11:08 p.m., officers tried to stop a driver they said was speeding and driving recklessly.
• The chase. Police said the driver refused to stop, leading officers on a chase.
• The crash. According to police, the driver lost control and crashed on Northwest 173rd Avenue, then got out and tried to run.
• The search. Officers and a K-9 found him, and he was taken to the Washington County Jail.
• The booking charges. Police said the 28-year-old man was booked for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), reckless driving, attempting to elude a police officer in a motor vehicle, and attempting to elude a police officer on foot.

The coverage doesn't mention any injuries. We don't host or embed the footage. Watch it through the KPTV report or the Beaverton Police Department's official channels. We're also not repeating the man's name here: the case is at the booking stage, and the focus of this post is the law, not the person.

Two eluding charges from one chase: car vs. on foot

The booking list includes eluding twice, once "in a motor vehicle" and once "on foot." That comes straight from how Oregon wrote its law.

ORS 811.540, "Fleeing or attempting to elude police officer," says a person commits the offense if they're operating a motor vehicle and a police officer who is in uniform and prominently displaying a badge, or driving a vehicle marked as an official police vehicle, gives "a visual or audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop, including any signal by hand, voice, emergency light or siren," and either:

• (A) the person, "while still in the vehicle, knowingly flees or attempts to elude a pursuing police officer," or
• (B) the person "gets out of the vehicle and knowingly flees or attempts to elude the police officer."

The penalties are different:

| How it happens | Classification under ORS 811.540(3) | |---|---| | Fleeing while still in the vehicle | Class C felony | | Getting out of the vehicle and fleeing on foot | Class A misdemeanor |

So in Oregon, attempting to elude in a car is a felony, and running on foot after driving is a misdemeanor. Both can come out of the same event, which is why police listed both.

What the state has to prove

A few details from the statute and Oregon court decisions matter here:

• "Knowingly." The Oregon Court of Appeals has held that the mental state is "knowingly," not "intentionally" (State v. Rapp, 2020). A driver who truly doesn't realize police are trying to stop them is in a different position from one who sees the lights and keeps going.
• A uniform or a marked car. The officer being in uniform with a badge, or in a marked police vehicle, is an essential element that must be specified in the charging document (State v. Burnett, 2002).
• Unmarked cars. The statute gives an affirmative defense when the officer was in an unmarked car and the driver "proceeded lawfully to an area the person reasonably believed was necessary to reach before stopping," such as a well-lit, safe spot.

Whether any of these apply in Beaverton is for a court to decide. We're explaining the law, not the outcome. Florida handles this differently; our Winter Springs, FL fleeing and eluding explainer covers that state's law, section 316.1935.

Reckless driving in Oregon: ORS 811.140

ORS 811.140 says a person commits reckless driving if they "recklessly" drive a vehicle on a highway or premises open to the public "in a manner that endangers the safety of persons or property." It also covers intentional burnouts and tire spinning in front of two or more spectators. Reckless driving is a Class A misdemeanor.

Oregon courts have noted that careless driving is a lesser included offense of reckless driving (State v. Cuffee, 1987), and that a jury can't be told that DUII automatically equals reckless driving (State v. Luke, 1990). Each charge has its own elements.

DUII in Oregon: ORS 813.010

ORS 813.010 defines driving under the influence of intoxicants. A person commits DUII if they drive while they:

• have 0.08 percent or more alcohol in their blood, as shown by a breath or blood test,
• are under the influence of an intoxicant or a combination of intoxicants, or
• have 0.08 percent or more within two hours after driving, without drinking in between.

DUII is usually a Class A misdemeanor. It becomes a Class C felony when the person has at least three qualifying prior convictions in the 10 years before the current offense. On conviction, the court must impose minimum fines, including $1,000 for a first conviction and $2,000 when the blood alcohol content was 0.15 percent or more.

Police haven't released any test results in this case, and none are reported in the coverage. A booking charge of DUII isn't proof of impairment.

Why running rarely helps

Setting this case aside, the general picture is clear from the statutes. A traffic stop for speeding is usually a violation handled with a citation. Choosing to keep driving can add a felony under ORS 811.540, and leaving the car and running can add a misdemeanor on top. A crash during a pursuit raises the risk to everyone on the road, including the driver.

If you see lights behind you and you're not sure it's a real officer, Oregon's affirmative defense describes the safe approach: slow down, signal, and drive lawfully to a well-lit, public place before stopping. Many people call 911 to confirm an unmarked car is a real officer.

What to do if you're pulled over

1. Signal and pull over safely to the right. At night, turn on your interior light and keep your hands visible.
2. Have your license, registration and proof of insurance ready, and say so before reaching for them.
3. Stay calm and don't argue at the roadside. You can contest a citation later in court.
4. You can stay quiet beyond the basics. Our Know Your Rights page and detained vs. arrested explainer cover what you have to say and what you don't.

How to request the bodycam in Oregon

Oregon's public records law, ORS chapter 192, gives the public a right to inspect public records, with exemptions, including specific rules for police body camera recordings. To request footage from a city police department, send a written request to its records unit with the date, time, location and any case number. Our FOIA letter generator drafts the request, and our guide on how police bodycam footage becomes public explains fees, exemptions and appeals.

More pursuits and DUI stops

• Lee County PIT maneuver bodycam: what a PIT maneuver is, and whether it's legal
• Winter Springs, FL: the Tesla video and Florida's fleeing law
• Ohio troopers nearly hit during a sobriety test
• Timberlake, OH: police cruiser hit and Ohio's move-over law
• Police pursuit in West Chicago, IL
• Browse the full case library

Know of a chase or traffic stop where the footage hasn't been released? Submit a case and we'll look into requesting it. Records requests cost money; if you'd like to help cover those fees, see our support page. Everyone involved in any case we cover is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.