David Durham
Born
David Anthony Durham

(1967-03-11) March 11, 1967
DisappearedJanuary 23, 2011
Waldport, Oregon, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)

David Anthony Durham (March 11, 1967 – disappeared January 23, 2011) is an American wanted fugitive who disappeared under mysterious circumstances after shooting and critically injuring a police officer during a traffic stop in Lincoln City, Oregon. After shooting the officer, Durham's vehicle was rendered inoperable via a spike strip 40 miles (64 km) south in Waldport, where he fled on foot and began shooting at a crab fisherman in Alsea Bay before disappearing. Durham's whereabouts remain unknown.[1]

Disappearance

At approximately 10:58 pm on January 23, 2011, Lincoln City police officer Steven Dodds pulled over a 1984 Dodge pickup truck[2] owned by David Anthony Durham, of Sauvie Island, Portland, Oregon,[3] for a routine traffic violation in Lincoln City, Oregon.[4] During the interaction, Durham told Dodds that he was driving to a military base in California.[5] At some point during the traffic stop, Durham shot Dodds multiple times in the chest, critically injuring him, and then fled in his vehicle, heading south on Highway 101.[4]

Responding police officers spotted Durham's vehicle in Newport, and disabled his vehicle with a spike strip near Waldport, just north of the Alsea Bay Bridge.[4] Unable to further drive his vehicle, Durham fled on foot into the woods on the west side of the highway; Durham's dog, which was in his vehicle, fled to the east.[4] Shortly after, a crab fisherman working by spotlight on Alsea Bay reported gunshots originating from the spit, but could not see the gunman in the darkness.[4] Three days after Durham's disappearance, his dog was found wandering in Waldport.[3]

Investigation

An extensive search for Durham took place in the days following his disappearance by local, state and federal law enforcement officers; SWAT teams were also instated.[2] Police performed a house-by-house search across Waldport and Bayshore, a community immediately north of Alsea Bay.[2] Despite the extensive search, authorities were unable to locate Durham, and there have been no verified sightings of him since the evening of January 23, 2011.[3][6] Initially, law enforcement theorized that Durham may have been hiding in an abandoned house in the woods or in one of the area's numerous vacant vacation homes.[2] Another possibility raised by law enforcement was that Durham had attempted to swim across Alsea Bay and drowned.[4]

A friend of Durham's said that in the months prior to his disappearance, he had been acting erratically and displaying signs of paranoia:[7] "He was definitely going through something. We just didn't know how serious it was."[3] She also added that she believed Durham was dead.[3] Durham's brother Michael told The Oregonian that Durham had sustained a shoulder injury in the months prior to his disappearance, and had been prescribed pain medication that altered his mental state.[8] He also stated he believed Durham may have been hiding at a house in Manzanita owned by his employer.[8] Prior to his disappearance, Durham had told several friends and family members that he was planning on relocating to the Caribbean.[5] His employer at Willamette Print & Blueprints Co. Inc in Portland notified police that he had failed to show up to work on Friday, January 21, and that he had not been heard from since.[2]

Aftermath

A Federal arrest warrant for Durham was issued January 29, 2011 and as of 2023 remains outstanding.[1] Durham was profiled on the television series America's Most Wanted shortly after his disappearance.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "David Anthony Durham". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Goldman, Russell (January 25, 2011). "Oregon Town Fearful as Manhunt for Alleged Cop Shooter Continues". ABC News. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Harger, Stover E. III (January 25, 2012). "The disappearance of David Durham". Portland Tribune. Retrieved November 7, 2017 – via Pamplin Media Group.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alexander, Patrick (February 1, 2011). "Just how did David Durham escape?". The News Guard. Lincoln City, Oregon. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Moran, Jack (February 4, 2011). "Tips temporarily raise hopes in search for fugitive". The Register-Guard. p. A1. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ Tobias, Lori (January 31, 2011). "Fugitive warrant issued for suspect David Durham in shooting of Lincoln City officer". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Friends: Oregon officer shooting suspect is paranoid". MassLive. Springfield, Massachusetts: Associated Press. January 25, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Jung, Helen (January 25, 2011). "David Durham's family urges the suspected gunman to turn himself in peacefully". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  9. ↑ Tomlinson, Stuart (January 29, 2011). "Search for David Durham scaled back; case goes on 'America's Most Wanted' tonight". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
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