A Portland police officer was relieved to learn that he did not break his neck during a chase that ended with the sergeant and suspect on the ground, according to authorities.

The officer's jaw was broken in the incident, some of his teeth were knocked out, and his finger was broken. He was also checked for a possible broken neck, according to Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau. But, after completing tests, doctors confirmed late Monday that the sergeant did not suffer serious injury to his neck or back.

KGW file photo

It all started on SE 79th Avenue, just south of Division around midnight. That’s where Sgt. Scott Westerman said he first tried to pull the driver over but the suspect, later identified as William Lloyd Depaz, took off.

Westerman, 40, chased Depaz, 32, in his car for about five minutes until the suspect stopped and fled on foot near the intersection of 74th and Foster, police said.

"The injury occurred when Depaz fell into the path of Sergeant Westerman during the foot pursuit," Schmautz explained. Westerman was eventually able to overpower and arrest the suspect.

Westerman has been with the bureau for the past 15 years. He is now recovering at Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

Depaz faces charges including Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, and Resisting Arrest.