Officer Dodds was shot multiple times during the traffic stop and although he was unable to return fire, he did manage to call in his own officer down report, according to Lt. Jerry Palmer with the Lincoln City Police Department.
The gunman drove south on U.S. 101 and was spotted and chased by Newport police, with several shots fired at officers. None were hit, but two patrol vehicles and a car were struck by bullets, according to Lt. Gregg Hastings, a state police spokesman.
The Dodge truck (seen at right) was stopped by spike strips on the highway at Waldport, where the driver fled on foot into a wooded area. The gunman also shot at a crab fisherman on a boat in Alsea Bay, near the bridge, Newport Police Chief Mark Miranda said. The fisherman was struck by shrapnel but was not seriously injured.
About 30 officers took part in the manhunt overnight. Police alerted residents through a reverse 911 system and advised them to report anyone suspicious but did not order an evacuation. U.S. 101 was reopened shortly after 8 a.m. Monday but access to streets around the bridge was restricted, with electronic signs advising motorists about the search.
Soul Vacation resort, located near the bridge, hired extra security guards and put employees and construction workers doing renovations on alert, said Guru Murumi, who oversees wellness programs at the yoga resort. They also checked empty rooms and notified guests.
Officer
Steven Dodds, 45, is a six-year veteran of the Lincoln City Police Department and was the agency's Officer of the Year in 2010.
Dodds was flown to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland where he is reportedly in critical condition. His family and fellow officers are at the hospital, police said.
Dodds is not married but he is a father - he has a daughter who is 18 years old.
Lt. Jerry Palmer with the Lincoln City Police Department called Dodds an outstanding officer who is well-trained and experienced.
"Steve is one of those guys you wish you could clone," Palmer said at the hospital.
Officer Tracy Burt of the Port of Portland Police Department, a childhood friend of Dodds, said Dodds had grown up on the Oregon coast and lived with Burt's family during high school.
"He's like a brother," Burt said, saying the shooting left him "with just a burning pit in my stomach."
Colleagues also said Dodds is the kind of officer who would try to fix a problem with a warning or a kind word, which makes it especially hard for them to hear that he had been shot.
School Information
According to the Lincoln County School District, there will be no morning and afternoon buses running north of the Waldport Bridge Tuesday. There will be bus service south of the Waldport Bridge. For families living north of the bridge, parents can either take their children to school or keep them home. If parents do keep their children home, they are asked to call their school in the morning to let them know.
Waldport High School and Crestview Heights School will be open during normal school hours, but they will be in Code Yellow Lockdown. This means the schools will be locked during the day and there will be no outside activities.
Students will not be allowed to leave Waldport High School for lunch on Tuesday and all students will be provided with a free lunch.
For more information or updates go to the
Lincoln County Schools website.