Gazette-Times

LEBANON - A 25-year-old Lebanon man was arrested Friday after allegedly stealing a Lebanon police patrol car while officers chased another man who was carrying a concealed weapon.

Derek Klahr, who allegedly stole the car, was charged with three counts of first-degree theft, and one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and first-degree criminal mischief.

According to a statement from the Lebanon Police Department, officers arrived at the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot around 12:30 a.m. Friday to investigate a suspicious vehicle with four occupants.

One of the occupants, Michael Adkins, 24, of Lebanon, was taken into custody on a Lebanon warrant for failure to comply. He was later charged with felon in possession of a weapon.

After discovering a marijuana pipe in the back seat of the car, police began to search the vehicle.

During the search, police discovered that one of the occupants, Robert McCollum, 27, of Lebanon, had a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol in his waistband under his clothing.

McCollum fled on foot and officers chased him. At that time, Klahr got into one of the patrol vehicles that had been left running during the investigation, police said.

Klahr drove out of the parking lot, striking several curbs and flattening two of the tires. Police recovered the car without the driver approximately half a mile south on Highway 20, parked in a residential driveway. Nothing inside the patrol car was stolen or damaged.

Around 3 a.m., a sergeant from the Linn County Sheriff's Office located Klahr, and he was taken into custody without incident.

McCollum was captured and charged with felon in possession of a weapon and resisting arrest.