Kidnap Suspect Arrested in Grants Pass

Police say elderly resident was held hostage during armed standoff

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A 51-year-old man has been lodged in the Josephine County Jail following a March 4 incident in which police say an elderly resident was held hostage inside a Grants Pass home.

According to the Grants Pass Police Department, officers responded around 5:44 p.m. to a residence in the 2400 block of Leonard Road after an elderly woman called 911 reporting that a man had fired a gun inside the home, striking himself in the leg.

Responding officers from both day and night shift teams arrived and began gathering information about the situation. During the response, officers learned another elderly resident remained inside the home and was being held hostage by the armed suspect.

Police requested that the Grants Pass Crisis Negotiation Team and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team be placed on standby as officers worked to stabilize the situation.

Officers were able to safely help the female caller exit the home through a back door while continuing to assess conditions inside the residence.

While officers were developing a plan, they reported hearing gunshots from inside the home and immediately entered the residence out of concern for the safety of the hostage.

Inside the home, officers found the suspect had shot himself in the chest. Police said officers immediately began providing emergency medical care to the suspect while other officers helped the elderly male hostage safely exit the home.

The suspect was transported by ambulance to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford for treatment.

After being released from the hospital, Lee Christopher Davis, 51, was taken into custody with assistance from the Medford Police Department and the Grants Pass Police Major Crimes Unit.

Davis was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Kidnapping in the First Degree (two counts), Unlawful Use of a Weapon (two counts), Menacing, Felon in Possession of a Weapon, and Interfering with Making a Report (two counts).

Police credited responding officers for their actions during the incident, noting that both elderly residents were safely removed from the home and no civilians were injured.

Further questions about the case will be handled by the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office.

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