Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Grants Pass man for assaulting a family member and threatening him with a firearm at a local residence last night. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 37-year-old Kelly Griffith for the incident at a home in the 2600-block of Azalea Drive on Thursday at 9:33 p.m.. Deputies said a man they identified as "Calvin Griffith" called 9-1-1 and the call-taker could hear an altercation taking place between two men. The dispatcher said they could hear one man complaining of pain and stating that the other man pulled a pistol on him. The other man -- later identified as Kelly Griffith -- dismissively said "I barely touched you." The Oregon State Police was called in to assist. Responding deputies and troopers interviewed both men while noting the victim's injuries. American Medical Response was placed on standby, but the ambulance was canceled when the victim refused transport to the hospital. No other details were available in the Sheriff's Log except that a 40-caliber pistol was seized. Kelly Griffith was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Assault and Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman on a local warrant and added a domestic violence charge to her criminal bill after an altercation at a local mobile home park last night. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a residence in the 300-block of Beechwood Drive at Country Village Mobile Home Park on Thursday at about 8:30 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her father had been assaulted by their female roommate whom she identified as 51-year-old Angelique Morrison. The caller said Morrison hit her father in the face and likely injured his jaw. She told dispatchers she did not understand why her father did not make the 9-1-1 call. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed the involved parties and photographed the victim's injuries -- but he denied medical treatment. During the investigation, they discovered that Morrison was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Angelique Morrison was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged on the warrant and for probable cause of Physical Harassment. She was being held without bail.

 

An Illinois Valley felon was apprehended on a statewide felony warrant yesterday after a traffic stop on Redwood Highway. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 36-year-old Sebastion Cree Solomon Glenn in the 30,500-block of US Highway 199 on Thursday at 11:51 a.m.. Deputies said they spotted Glenn and knew that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a past conviction for Intimidation and Coercion. They said the suspect initially failed to yield, but eventually pulled over in a dirt parking lot next to the highway. He remained uncooperative, refusing to obey commands including orders to put his hands up and get out of the vehicle. The Sheriff's Office exercised universal precautions because Glenn had told others that he wasn't going back to prison and law enforcement would have to shoot him. However, the suspect finally turned off the ignition and stepped out of the vehicle. Sebastion Glenn was subsequently placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for multiple crimes after he allegedly beat up another man at a city park and stole some of the victim's belongings yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a reported assault at Baker Park on Thursday shortly before 9 a.m.. Police said a man they identified as "Daniel Wise" contacted them and reported that 48-year-old Demetrius Elward Hughes had attacked him and stole his bike as well as his puppy, a cell phone, backpack and prescription medication. Officers tracked down Hughes on the nearby Texas property and he admitted to punching Wise during a property dispute as well as stealing the victim's property, which he said were comic books of unknown value. He denied stealing any of the other items reported by the victim and there was no evidence of additional thefts. According to the report, the theft of the GT Slipstream bike with Harley handle bars and yellow accents along with the Pitbull-mix puppy and other items was entered into a police report. However, there was no suspect information. Demetrius Hughes was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault, 3rd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was also trespassed from Baker Park for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man yesterday for violating a court order by returning twice to his grandfather's residence in the southeast part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 200-block of SE Linden Lane on Thursday shortly after 5 p.m.. Police said 40-year-old Andrew Graham Nathaniel Logan went to his grandfather's home the first time to retrieve some of property after his grandfather had obtained a court order prohibiting him from being there. The suspect reportedly had been sleeping underneath the house and left his wallet there. When his grandfather locked him out of the house and told him to wait for police, the suspect yelled at his family member before walking away. The victim called back later to report his grandson returned and was hanging out at the park. Andrew Logan was located by police at Eckstein Park and -- after the court order was confirmed by the Sheriff's Office -- he was placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts of Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation and was being held without bail.

 

A Grants Pass motorist was arrested for driving recklessly in the local area for the second time in the past two weeks. Grants Pass Police contacted 64-year-old Thomas Michael Campbell in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot in the 200-block of NE 6th Street at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. Police said Campbell was called in as a traffic complaint by witnesses who stated that he was driving a Toyota Sequoia and ran through three separate red lights on the Grants Pass Parkway during rush hour while flipping off several motorists and yelling at others. The complaints were very similar to those reported last week. Thomas Campbell was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Reckless Driving. He was still in custody this morning.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for suspended driving after a traffic stop in the North Valley area late last night. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Nissan Quest driven by 66-year-old Daniel Ray Rucker near the intersection of Plumtree Lane and Glenbe Drive around 11:30 p.m. Thursday. Troopers said they stopped Rucker for a traffic violation and discovered that his driving privileges had been suspended. Rucker was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving While Suspended and his vehicle was impounded.

 

A Brookings man was killed this week when his vehicle crashed into trees and burst into flames off Redwood Highway near O'Brien. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle accident near milepost 39 of US Highway 199 on Wednesday at about 12:25 p.m.. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicates a Chevrolet Avalanche driven by 59-year-old John Anton Renner, IV, of Brookings was traveling south when the vehicle left the highway for unknown reasons, crashed into a group of trees and caught on fire. According to OSP, Renner was pronounced deceased at the scene. There were no passengers in the vehicle. Redwood Highway was impacted for about four hours due to the fatal crash. OSP was assisted by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department was seeking public assistance in locating a man who was reported missing this week. According to the GPPD Facebook page, 38-year-old Kendall Walls did not return home on January 23rd, his cell phone was turned off and his whereabouts is not known. Walls is described as a white male adult, 6-feet-1-inch tall and 190 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears glasses. The missing man has tattoos of a ship under his right arm and a whale on his chest. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kendall Walls is urged to call the Grants Pass Police Department at (541)-450-6260 or contact any law enforcement agency. Please refer to Case #2024-3049.