The next question in the case of Dave Dahl: Will the co-founder and face of Dave's Killer Bread spend time at the state hospital?

That matter comes after a Washington County judge on Friday found Dahl guilty except for insanity on two counts of third-degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. The weapon in this case was Dahl's Cadillac Escalade.

Dahl, 51, is known for his rise from ex-con to the symbol of the Milwaukie-based whole grain bread company that expanded nationwide with his distinctive image on the label.

His charges stemmed from a Nov. 14 confrontation with Washington County deputies when he charged at them from behind the wheel of his black SUV during a mental health crisis.

Prosecutor Chris Quinn told the court that doctors for both the state and defense had evaluated Dahl and determined that he was not mentally sound at the time of his run-in with deputies.

"Our own expert witness concluded that in fact David Dahl qualified for an insanity defense," Quinn said.

The investigation had also ruled out the possibility that Dahl was intoxicated at the time of the crash, he said.

Dahl resolved his case with a stipulated facts trial, in which the judge made findings based on uncontested evidence.

Presiding Circuit Judge Kirsten Thompson reviewed police reports, psychological evaluations and toxicology reports in the case before she found Dahl guilty except for insanity. The judgment does not count as a conviction, but puts Dahl within the jurisdiction of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board.

Quinn said Dahl will be under the board's supervision for up to 15 years.

Thompson set another hearing for Dec. 8, when she will decide whether to send Dahl to the state hospital or allow him to remain on conditional release.

The incident that landed Dahl in court began when his friend called 911 to report Dahl was having a mental breakdown.

Court records say Washington County sheriff's deputies arrived at the caller's Cedar Hills residence and found Dahl in the Escalade. He crashed into a patrol car and then took off.

Deputies chased the Escalade through residential streets, records say, before Dahl rammed a deputy's car in a cul-de-sac. Dahl backed the Escalade up and slammed into the patrol car a second time.

A corporal saw the Escalade's reverse lights come on, and he drove into the SUV, pinning it against the deputy's vehicle.

Dahl fought the deputies as they took him into custody, according to court records. After deputies delivered multiple blows and used a Taser on him, they eventually handcuffed him.

Soon after the arrest, defense attorney Stephen Houze attributed Dahl's conduct to his mental state.

In an interview with The Oregonian months later, Dahl described his struggle with bipolar disorder and depression and his lost sense of reality the night of the public meltdown.

Before Dahl joined his family's bakery in 2004, he spent 15 years in and out of prison. He later launched the wildly successful Dave's Killer Bread. His family sold a half-stake in the business to expand across the country in 2012. That same year, the company reported $53 million in sales and 280 employees -- nearly a third of them ex-cons.

On Friday, Dahl, seated next to his defense attorney Stephen Houze, said little.

Reporters filled a row in the courtroom gallery, but otherwise the hearing was low-key.

Afterward, he received hugs and exchanged smiles with a small group of family and friends.

-- Emily E. Smith