Newport Police Officer Lance Cummings observed a Ford pick-up Wednewsday on SW 2nd Street and noted that the driver was not wearing a seat belt. The truck stopped on SW Coast Street north of SW 2nd Street. The driver got out of the truck, said he’d be right back, and then ran east, jumping a fence into the backyard of a residence.

Officers were able to observe the driver several times as he continued to jump fences and run through backyards.

Eventually, officers were able to close in on the suspect. He was located and taken into custody without incident in a large brush area, just west of the 100 block of SW Hurbert Street.

The suspect was identified as Robert Patrick Smith, 38 of Newport. He was booked into the Lincoln County Jail for Attempt to Elude Police. Bail: $15,000. He was also issued a citation for Failure to Wear a Seat Belt.

Smith indicated the reason he ran is that he didn’t like getting arrested.