Cops: Man with pruning shears chases woman on bike

By KPTV Staff

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    SALEM, Oregon (KPTV) — Salem police are searching for a man who is accused of chasing a woman on a bicycle at Minto-Brown Island Park on Tuesday morning.

The woman reported she was riding the trails near the river when she passed a man on a bike who was stopped and noticed he had a pair of pruning shears in his hand. Police said the woman continued her ride but then noticed the suspect had started to chase her. The suspect rammed her bicycle with his at one point.

Police said the woman yelled and scanned for people as she sped forward. She continued toward the bicycle and pedestrian bridge at Riverfront Park where she could see people. Police said the suspect stopped his pursuit and rode away.

According to police, the suspect was described as a tall white man in his late 20s to early 30s with dark, disheveled hair and a thin build. He was wearing cutoff jean shorts but no shirt. The suspect was riding a mountain bike with unusually large handlebar ends and no suspension.

“We applaud the victim’s strength and determination to get away from the suspect,” said Lieutenant Treven Upkes of the Salem Police Department’s Community Response Section. Upkes supervises the team of officers who patrol the downtown area and parks. “The map provided by her device and her description of the suspect and his bicycle will greatly help officers patrolling the vicinity.”

Anyone with information about the suspect should contact Salem police.

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