Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, in the Oregon House of Representatives, Feb. 5, 2024, at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem, Ore.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Salem Reporter originally published this article.
State Rep. Paul Evans was arrested this weekend and is accused of driving drunk and damaging a stop sign in Independence, Polk County Circuit Court records show.
Independence Police officers took Evans into custody early Sunday, Oct. 4, morning after a reported hit-and-run at an intersection. He was released Monday morning, according to court records.
Evans (D-Monmouth) was arrested around 2:45 a.m., and just after 4 a.m. his blood alcohol was measured at double the legal limit, according to a statement from Officer Reed Chorbajian.
Evans, 56, was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2014, and is seeking reelection to the House District 20 seat which represents Monmouth, Independence, southwest Salem and West Salem.
He is running for a seventh consecutive term in the November 2026 election.
Polk County prosecutors have charged him with driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving and failing to stop after causing property damage, court records show. Each of the charges are misdemeanor crimes.
Evans has initially pleaded not guilty to the charges following his release Monday.
The charges accuse Evans of damaging a stop sign at the intersection of Main Street and B Street in Independence around 1:45 a.m. The incident was reported as a hit-and-run, an Independence Police officer wrote in a statement.
Evans provided a statement to Salem Reporter through Mack Smith, Chief of Staff for House Democrats.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and deeply regret letting down my community that has depended on and trusted me to represent them for over a decade. Like many veterans, I’ve struggled with PTSD and used alcohol to cope. This was a wake up call and I am seeking out in-patient treatment to get the help I need,” Evans said.
He served in the U.S. Air Force and the Oregon Air National Guard, and volunteered for tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his biography on the legislature’s website.
In a police statement following Evans’ arrest, Chorbajian recalled the events leading to taking the legislator into custody.
A witness to the hit-and-run reported hearing a loud crash and saw a Jeep drive away, the statement said. A second Independence Police officer spoke with the witness while Chorbajian located Evans with the Jeep in a nearby parking lot, and spoke with him.
The Jeep had a mark on its front bumper that was a similar height to a mark on the stop sign, which had been “bent significantly,” Chorbajian wrote.
Evans then told the officer he had three drinks across eight hours at the Independence Elks Lodge. He said that two of the drinks were alcoholic, and one was not.
Chorbajian wrote that Evans recalled being in the area of an Italian restaurant at the same intersection where the crash was reported. While the two spoke, the officer noticed Evans occasionally slurring his words and speaking slowly, and smelled alcohol coming from Evans.
Chorbajian conducted a field sobriety test and later a breathalyzer test, which read 0.16% according to the police statement.
His release agreement prohibits him from consuming substances, including alcohol, and going to bars or liquor stores. Evans is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 28.
Evans received a citation in 2016 for using a phone while driving, state court records show.
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