Persicke

A Baker City man was arrested Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 21, after leading police from multiple agencies on a vehicle chase with speeds that at times exceeded 100 mph.

Zachary Charles Persicke, 36, of 2690 Ninth St., surrendered to police and was arrested without incident about noon along Interstate 84 at Milepost 330, about 26 miles southeast of Baker City near the Ash Grove Cement plant.

Persicke was jailed on a parole violation warrant, according to a press release from Baker City Police Chief Ty Duby.

On Thursday, Sept. 23, a Baker County grand jury indicted Persicke on multiple charges, including attempting to elude a police officer, and unlawful possession and delivery of methamphetamine and heroin.

Persicke’s bail was set at $215,000. He is scheduled to enter a plea on Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. in Baker County Circuit Court.

The drug charges stemmed from an investigation by the Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team, which yielded about a pound of suspected methamphetamine, multiple ounces of heroin, and opioid pills from Persicke’s car.

Police also found a loaded Glock .45-caliber pistol on the passenger seat, and a loaded Smith and Wesson AR-15 rifle with a 60-round capacity magazine in the vehicle’s trunk.

Police later served a search warrant on Persicke’s home, where they found about half a pound of methamphetamine, several grams of heroin, a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun and three handguns.

Persicke is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The incident started about 11 a.m. on Tuesday when Baker City Police detectives, and an Oregon State Police sergeant, tried to stop a white Chevrolet Monte Carlo as part of an ongoing investigation by the Narcotics Enforcement Team into drug and gun trafficking.

Persicke, who was driving the Monte Carlo, stopped for police at Atwood Road and East Campbell Street, east of Interstate 84. The three passengers in the car fled on foot, according to the press release.

Persicke drove away, with police in pursuit.

He initially drove north of Interstate 84 beyond North Powder to the Wolf Creek exit, near Milepost 283. Persicke exceeded 100 mph at times, according to the press release.

Near North Powder, Persicke used his cellphone to call 911 and make what the press release describes as “lethal force threats towards law enforcement that was pursuing him.”

The emergency dispatcher tried to negotiate with Persicke, and persuaded him to slow his vehicle to around 80 mph.

At the Wolf Creek exit Persicke exited the freeway and then returned to I-84, headed south toward Baker City.

Officers from Baker City and OSP continued the pursuit, at speeds ranging from 75 to 90 mph.

Baker City Police deployed a spike strip near Baker City, which flattened one tire on Persicke’s car. He slowed to between 60 and 70 mph but continued driving south on the freeway. He exited at the Campbell Street exit but then returned to the freeway, heading toward Durkee.

During the pursuit, officers from the Baker County Parole and Probation Department went to Persicke’s home, where they met with his mother and his girlfriend. They called Persicke’s cellphone and convinced him to pull over and surrender.

The Baker City Police Department was assisted by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Baker County Parole and Probation, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police.