With weapons drawn, police surrounded 1871 Harris Alley at 4 p.m. Wednesday, searching for two men suspected of robbing a Lane Community College student at gunpoint inside the Kampus Quads.
The suspects fled with keys to a white Chevrolet Impala and an endorsed check before police arrived at the scene, Eugene Police Department spokeswoman Pam Alejandre said.
Police named Travis C. Ramsey as one suspect. Ramsey is believed to be in his 20s and is described as a dark-haired, 6-foot 3-inch Caucasian male, weighing about 170 pounds. Police described the other suspect as a 5-foot 5-inch black male, weighing 160 pounds and believed to be in his 30s.
The victim, Wendy Renee Dolph, is an acquaintance Ramsey, Alejandre said.
Alejandre said Dolph told police she thought the suspect might be upset because she did not buy an automobile owned by him.
According to police reports, Dolph left her boyfriend and the suspects at the Kampus Quads on Wednesday after an argument broke out and she noticed they had a gun. She then went to a relative’s house and called police at 3:45 p.m.
Alejandre said five officers responded to the call. One of the officers heard a “ticking noise” and blocked eastbound traffic on 18th Avenue, she said.
University senior Andrea Niemiec, who lives in a nearby apartment, said police also closed the alley between 18th and 19th avenues and locked down the music building at about 4:30 p.m.
“All of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh, look! There’s a guy with a rifle,’” Niemiec said.
When asked if officers had drawn their weapons, Alejandre said that given the situation, “that would be something that could
be expected.”
University sophomore Andrew Richards said he looked out the kitchen window from his apartment across the alley and saw an officer sprawled on the ground talking on a radio. Richards described the situation as “upsetting.”
“There’s always a bunch of crap going on over there,” said Richards. “It’s not really that much of a surprise.”
Larry Bramow, 49, who lives in another Kampus Quads unit, said three officers entered his residence about 4:30 p.m. with guns drawn, while one stood in the doorway. The officers were attempting to locate the suspects who were believed to be in an adjacent room. Bramow, who has lived in the building for less than one week, said he was cooking dinner when officers told him to leave.
Once inside the property, officers told another Kampus Quads resident, Antares Welch, to vacate.
“I was pretty scared when they walked in,” the 21-year-old said.
Welch said more than 10 officers were at the scene. One resident matching the description of the second suspect was detained and released after officers questioned him, Welch said.
“If they’re searching for a suspect, they are going to look at everybody,” Alejandre said.
Welch said she was allowed to return to her apartment between 5:45 p.m. and 6 p.m.
“This was not typical,” Welch said. “I’ve never seen this kind of stuff before.”