In the late hours of a summer evening, a tragic series of events unfolded on a stretch of U.S. Highway 20, nestled between Sisters and Bend, Oregon. Farhad Masheri, a 51-year-old male, was the subject of a police search after authorities were alerted to an armed and suicidal man driving a black SUV eastward over the Santiam Pass on the night of August 16, 2014.
Oregon State Police troopers located his vehicle shortly after the alert and began a pursuit.
The chase escalated as Masheri’s SUV reached speeds between 90 and 100 miles per hour. The pursuit came to an end near milepost 12 on Highway 20, where he stopped his vehicle. A tense standoff ensued, and law enforcement from the Oregon State Police and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office were on the scene. Despite attempts to communicate with him, Masheri did not comply with any commands.
As the situation developed, specialized units, including OSP SWAT personnel and a negotiator from the Bend Police Department, were brought in. The Bend Police also dispatched their armored vehicle to the location. The highway was closed in both directions as officers worked to resolve the standoff. At approximately 10:10 p.m., officers approached the vehicle and found Farhad Masheri deceased inside. His death was determined to be the result of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Consequently, there were no suspects or arrests in connection with this incident.
