Location: 5300 Block of Main Street – Springfield
Case Number: 23-7225
Date/Time: 10/20/2023 | Initial Call: 12:16 a.m. | Suspect In Custody: 5:58 a.m.
More Information: Public Information Coordinator | spdpi@springfield-or.gov
Completed By: Lieutenant George Crolly

INVOLVED SUSPECT:
Whitaker, Alexander Keith 34-Year-Old Male | Springfield, OR

NARRATIVE OF INCIDENT:
Shortly after midnight, on October 20th, the Springfield Police Department responded to an apartment in the 5300 block of Main Street after receiving a 911 call regarding an assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers determined a woman had been threatened with a knife and strangled by her husband, identified as Alexander Whitaker. The woman was able to flee the residence and reported her husband was still inside the apartment.

Additional officers arrived and attempted to contact Whitaker but did not, initially, receive a response from him. A Detective was called to the scene and authored a Search Warrant for the residence. Responding officers and a Crisis Negotiator made numerous attempts to contact Whitaker by loudspeaker and by calling his phone, and contact was eventually made by phone. Whitaker confirmed he was inside the residence and refused to come out upon being told he was under arrest. Springfield SWAT and an additional Crisis Negotiator were called and responded to the scene. Over the next 5 hours, crisis negotiators attempted to deescalate Whitaker through conversations on the phone.

Whitaker broke out the front window of his 2nd floor apartment and began throwing numerous items out the window and at nearby officers, below. Whitaker made suicidal statements and threated to use a shotgun to kill officers. Whitaker exited his front door numerous times and threw more items at officers but retreated in soon afterwards. Crisis negotiators continued to attempt to deescalate Whitaker through conversations on the phone. Negotiations continued for several hours with Whitaker refusing to surrender to police. SWAT breached the front door of the residence and continued to make attempts to contact Whitaker, telling him to surrender. SWAT officers, including a police K9, positioned themselves on the 2nd floor walkway and when Whitaker exited again, officers attempted to arrest him. A less than lethal kinetic impact

 

 

 

projectile was deployed and a K9 was used to take Whitaker to the ground. Whitaker fought with officers and the K9 for a brief time before being taken into custody.

Eugene Springfield Fire medics responded to the scene and transported Whitaker to the hospital for evaluation.

Whitaker will be lodged at the Lane County Jail on the below listed charges.

CHARGES:
Strangulation (APA)
Menacing (APA)
Unlawful Use of a Weapon (APA)

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that can include physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse. Domestic violence is a pervasive crime that affects millions of individuals regardless of age, economic status, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation/identification, or education.

Without intervention, domestic violence only gets worse, not better. The Springfield Police Department, in cooperation with the Lane County District Attorney’s Office, promotes and encourages early intervention in these cases to prevent future violence. SPD is committed to doing its part to stop the cycle of violence, including intervening in ongoing domestic violence incidents, and investigating such cases for purposes of prosecution.