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Absconder lands in prison after ramming Grants Pass patrol car Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 11:01 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Social News A Williams man with a history of fleeing police was sentenced to more than eight years in prison Wednesday for ramming a Grants Pass police car at a busy gas station last month, narrowly missing a police officer. The case made its way through the courts in less than 30 days — just long enough for Jonathan Michael Scott to grow a beard while in jail. He's now headed to state prison for eight years and three months after pleading guilty to 15 charges, the most serious of which was second-degree assault, a Measure 11 crime. Scott, 34, was at the Lil' Pantry at Northwest Vine Street around 12:45 p.m. Nov. 6, a Friday, when an off-duty officer recognized him. Scott was wanted on a warrant at the time. The off-duty officer called it in, and other officers showed up, including Sgt. Doni Hamilton, who pulled up behind Scott's Ford Focus hatchback to block it in with his police SUV, a new Chevrolet Tahoe. Instead, Scott accelerated in reverse, backing into Hamilton's SUV with the side of his car as he maneuvered out of his parking spot. In the process, he very nearly hit Hamilton, who was standing outside Scott's window. "I know Jonathan," Hamilton said in an interview after the sentencing. "I've chased him before, I've arrested him before." The two had a decent rapport, and Hamilton said he thought it might help the situation for Scott to see a familiar face. Scott, however, was desperate to get away that day. "Once I saw that he saw me and I heard him revving his engine, I knew he was going to take off," Hamilton said. As Scott maneuvered the Ford Focus out of the parking spot, the front of the car came within inches of pinning Hamilton to the car next to it. Hamilton took a sudden, agile hop backward to get out of the way, pulling some tendons and ligaments but escaping serious injury. Video footage from Hamilton's dash cam shows Hamilton yelling, "Hey, stop! My car's right there. Jonathan!" Scott continued backing up, hitting an unoccupied car at a gas pump and pushing that car into the vehicle behind it. He then sped off. An officer briefly followed him before Hamilton radioed him to tell him not to pursue Scott — it was considered too dangerous because of Scott's recklessness. Scott was arrested the following Monday after yet another chase, this time bailing out of his still-moving car, a Toyota, at the intersection of Rogue River Highway and Parkdale Drive. The Toyota then rolled into another car, but no one was hurt. Scott was found hiding nearby under a car behind Grover Electric & Plumbing Supply. Scott pleaded guilty in late November to second-degree assault, assaulting a public safety officer, reckless endangerment, delivering heroin and methamphetamine, hit-and-run, eluding and criminal mischief. He declined to speak at his sentencing on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Hamilton has been undergoing physical therapy for his injuries. He still has some occasional pain but is mostly back to normal, he said. He doesn't hold a grudge. "If we held grudges, then we wouldn't be in our jobs very long," he said of police. Scott's criminal record includes Josephine County convictions for identity theft, drug dealing, third- and fourth-degree assault, strangulation and attempting to elude police. One of Hamilton's early encounters with Scott was several years ago when Scott fled from him at C & D Short Stop Market on Southwest G Street, drove across the street and ran into a friend's house. He was later coaxed out and arrested. After Scott was arrested for the Lil' Pantry incident, Hamilton said, he confessed to another chase near Eighth Street and Riverside Avenue in September in which he jumped out of a moving Pontiac and ran away. Hamilton was involved in that pursuit but didn't know Scott was the suspect until he confessed. A week before the Lil' Pantry escape, Scott was involved in a brief pursuit near downtown in which he nearly hit a patrol car head-on. By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Dec. 3, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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