Libby Lane Elude, Jan. 24

News release CCSO.  On January 21, 2017 at about 2:35 PM, a Coos County Sheriff’s Deputy was patrolling the Libby Lane area of Coos County when he observed a small white car leave a suspected drug house.  The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle as it drove into the Englewood district of Coos Bay.  When the deputy activated his emergency light to stop the vehicle, driven by a lone male subject, the vehicle failed to yield.  The deputy pursued the vehicle as it wound through the streets of Englewood. Law enforcement officers from Coos Bay PD and Coquille Tribal Police and other Sheriff’s Office deputies responded into the area. The pursuit returned to the Libby district and turned onto the gravel portion of Red Dike Lane.  The area was rural residential and the driver of the vehicle increased their speed.  The deputy pursuing reported speeds up to 50 miles per hour on the gravel, ascending up the road.  The driver of the pursued vehicle abruptly halted at a vacant lot at 63000 block of Juniper Road, bailed out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.  The deputy pursuing the vehicle was the Sheriff’s Office canine handler and he released his K-9.  K-9 Odin was able to catch up to the fleeing suspect and slow him down allowing the deputy to take the suspect into custody without further incident. The subsequent investigation identified the suspect as Steven Ellis Bowen, 51 years old, of Coos Bay.  The vehicle was found to have been stolen from the city of Sutherlin, near Roseburg on January 7th.  In addition, Mr. Bowen had two warrants for his arrest, one for parole violation and the other for unauthorized use of a vehicle.  Mr. Bowen was also on parole and a detainer was placed on him by his parole officer.  Mr. Bowen’s driving status through the Department of Motor Vehicles was suspended (felony revoked).  The vehicle, a 2004 Volvo had been reported stolen from Sutherlin, Oregon and belonged to a disabled female soldier Afghanistan war veteran.  The vehicle was towed from the scene and the owner is in the process of recovering the vehicle. Steven Bowen was taken to Bay Area Hospital for treatment of bite wounds and for clearance for the jail.  Mr. Bowen was then taken to the Coos County Jail and charged with Attempt to Elude (Felony), Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Driving while suspended (felony), Parole Violation and two warrants.  Bail was set at $60,000 for three crimes and no bail set for the warrants and Parole Violation detainer. This deployment of K-9 Odin makes the 29th successful capture of suspects for him and his handler.  K-9 Odin has conducted criminal tracking and apprehension and assisted on some search and rescue deployments in his years of service.  K-9 Odin is specifically trained for tracking and apprehension.  The Coos County Sheriff’s Office is working on expanding its canine program to include more of these working dogs.