Man runs from courtroom, leads police on chase

A man allegedly ran from the Clark County Courthouse during his hearing Thursday afternoon, leading police on a short foot pursuit.

Judge Suzan Clark had just ordered Kevin B. Schauer into jail shortly before 1:50 p.m. when the 20-year-old darted out of the room on the third floor of the courthouse, according to emergency radio traffic and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Campus police, security personnel and Vancouver police all went after the man, who ran through a nearby parking garage and north toward Mill Plain Boulevard. Schauer, described as wearing a shiny gray jacket and blue jeans, allegedly headed toward the Washington State Patrol crime lab parking lot.

Police caught up with him a few blocks away behind Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency’s building, about five minutes after the incident began.

“A very wet and tired Schauer was returned to Judge Clark’s Courtroom,” sheriff’s Sgt. Alex Schoening said.

Schauer’s readiness hearing was scheduled for Thursday. He faces a charge of first-degree escape on top of his original charge of possessing a stolen vehicle. In October, he was allegedly caught with a stolen 1997 Honda Civic.

Schauer was denied bail.