Autopsy shows suspect in US 26 police chase killed himself

BUXTON, Ore. -- The suspect who died after a police chase on Highway 26 last week during which he shot at police killed himself, the medical examiner confirmed Tuesday.

Andrew DeHart died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to Dr. Larry Lewman with the state medical examiner's office.

DeHart was wanted for attempted murder and police were trying to capture him when the chase began near Seaside on October 28.  Police say DeHart's shots during the 17-mile chase disabled a police car but no officers were injured.

The chase ended at a tunnel at milepost 41 in the Coast Range.  Dehart died at a hospital late the next morning.  Officers fired at DeHarl, but Lewman said it was actually his own bullet that killed him.  Lewman conducted the autopsy that confirmed the cause of death.

DeHart was wanted out of Clark County for attempted murder, kidnapping and first-degree assault in a violent attack on a man in Vancouver. Court documents say he brutally beat the man inside his home and threatened him with a gun shoved inside his mouth. DeHart was considered armed and dangerous.

U.S. Marshals found DeHart at a friend's home in Seaside on the night of Wednesday, October 28, according to Sgt. Bob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.  As backup officers were headed there, DeHart drove off in a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup and headed east on U.S. 26.

At about milepost 22, Dehart spotted police and started speeding away. Some three miles later, he opened fire at the pursuing police cars, disabling one of them. He continued shooting until he reached the tunnel at milepost 41 at around 10:20 p.m.

It was there, Ray said, that three officers who knew Dehart was approaching got out of their cars and positioned themselves on the east end of the tunnel. They opened fire on DeHart and his truck came to a stop.

According to court documents, DeHart was linked to a series of violent crimes in recent days.

In the Vancouver attack, DeHart reportedly shoved a handgun into the man's mouth, saying he intended to "blow his head off." He then helped tie up the man with an electrical cord as another person repeatedly stabbed him.

The victim suffered a cut to the right femoral artery, a collapsed lung and stab wounds, cuts and bruises to his head, torso, an arm, a leg and "other areas," the probable cause affidavit reads.

DeHart told witnesses at the scene not to call police and helped dump the victim at the emergency entrance driveway of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, police said. The patient required nine pints of blood and twice nearly died during treatment.

A day earlier, DeHart had taken a woman against her will from that same Clark County home and demanded she recant statements made to police about a meth deal, the affidavit said. She was scheduled to testify in court in a meth-related case but recanted after receiving anonymous threats targeting her family.

Court records also show that DeHart has a lengthy criminal history spanning about 15 years.

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