Wanted Eugene Man Pulled From Culvert by His Ankles After Pepper Spray, K-9 and Robot All Failed to Flush Him Out

EUGENE, Ore. — After four hours and four desperate rescue attempts, the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department eventually managed to drag Nicolas Ian Tallman out of a culvert by tying ropes to his ankles.

The drama began at 1.57 p.m. on Sunday when Eugene Police officers conducted a patrol check at the end of Kintyre Street, where several commercial burglaries had been reported.

A policeman recognized 41-year-old Tallman, who was trespassing, from previous encounters with law enforcement. Tallman had multiple warrants, including one from the Oregon State Penitentiary.

According to a police report, Tallman yelled at the officers and then began to run toward the railroad tracks.

The police found him in a culvert east of Kintyre Street. He was out of sight, hiding about 100 to 150 feet inside the culvert.

The incident occurred at the dead end of Kintyre Street near the railroad tracks.

The Eugene officers tried to convince Tallman to come out of the culvert. Instead, the man crawled deeper into the culvert. He challenged the police to shoot him.

Here’s how the incident unfolded and why police recognized Tallman immediately.

Dramatic Rescue Operation

That was when the rescue/arrest operation began.

First, officers released pepper spray and a pepper ball into the culvert.

When that failed, a K-9 was deployed, but could not go deep enough without risking its safety.

A police robot failed to entice Tallman into the open.

Finally, the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department dispatched a rescue team into the culvert. They reached Tallman just after 6 p.m., attached a rope to his ankles, and dragged him free from his hiding place.

Tallman was treated at a local hospital and then transported to Lane County Jail, where he was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal trespass, third-degree escape, and served with his outstanding warrants.