A 21-year-old man who had an outstanding warrant attempted to flee from police in Troutdale on Thursday, July 19, by swimming into the Sandy River and hiding along the bank.

Joseph Alan Shaw, a Southeast Portland resident, is being held at Multnomah County Inverness Jail on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and larceny. He also is being held for violation of post-prison supervision for burglary.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reported that Shaw fled from sheriff’s deputies who had responded at 6:45 p.m. Thursday to a report of a partially submerged vehicle in the Sandy River north of the Interstate 84 overpass.

Deputies met with a group of people who were standing near the vehicle. During the investigation, a man ran from the group and into a nearby wooded area. Deputies identified the man and learned he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Deputies searched the area for the man, who ran from them and swam into the middle of the Sandy River, where he taunted deputies for several minutes. Deputies set up a perimeter around both sides of the river.

With the assistance of a sheriff’s office K-9 unit and Gresham firefighters, deputies with the River Patrol Unit headed to the west bank of the river where the man tried to hide. Deputies chased the man up a steep slope on the west bank, where the dog found the man.

The man was arrested at 9:05 p.m. without incident.

Gresham and Troutdale police also assisted with the search and capture of the man.