PPD responds to Moe Pho incident

PENDLETON – Moe Pho Noodles & Café was the scene of a disturbance Sunday afternoon that saw a man allegedly trying to hurt staff and attempt to steal objects form employees. (A video of this incident was shared on our Facebook page with permission from owner Moe Soeum.)

Soeum praised the quick response from the Pendleton Police Department. We asked Chief Chuck Byram for more details about the incident. He responded that the call included a report that the suspect was restrained by a staff member.

“When officers arrived on scene, they detained Christopher R. Woodell, a 40-year-old Pendleton resident,” Byram wrote. “The investigation revealed that Woodell’s actions towards staff at the restaurant were unprovoked and Woodell appeared to be suffering a mental health crisis.”

Byram said that police also found that Woodell was suffering from what he termed a “significant medical issue.” He was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony Hospital and he was cited and released for second-degree disorderly conduct at the hospital.

(A video of the start of the incident is posted on the My Columbia Basin Facebook page.)

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Elkhorn Media Group

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