Grants Pass Police Rescue Elderly Hostage After Armed Suspect Shoots Himself Inside Home

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Responding to reports from a caller at the 2400 block of Leonard Road, reporting A man was holding an elderly man hostage and had shot himself in the leg, several Grants Pass Police officers helped the victim get to safety and arrested the suspect on March 4.

Police responded to a 5:44 pm emergency call from an elderly female to Grants Pass 911 Communications. Grants Pass officers from both the day shift and night shift teams went to the home and called the residence to obtain more information.

The caller said there was another elderly person in the home being held hostage by the man who shot himself in the leg, who was later identified as 51-year-old Lee Christopher Davis.

Due to the potential for deadly force, the Grants Pass Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) and Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) were placed on standby.

After helping the elderly woman exit through the back door, officers gathered more intelligence inside the residence to help develop a contingency plan.

Patrol officers then heard shots from inside the home and- without consideration for their own safety- courageously and immediately forced entry into the home to rescue the hostage.

Davis had shot himself in the chest, and police officers immediately provided emergency medical care to him while other officers helped the elderly male hostage get out of the home safely.

AMR and Grants Pass Fire provided further advanced care and transported Davis to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford.

The suspect, Davis, was arrested by the Grants Pass Police Major Crimes Unit after he was released from the hospital yesterday and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Kidnapping in the First Degree (x2), Unlawful Use of a Weapon (x2), Menacing, Felon in Possession of a Weapon, and Interfering with Making a Report (x2).