A Portland Police retail theft mission out of East Precinct this week resulted in the recovery of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise and numerous arrests.
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, East Precinct officers and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) teamed up with business partners to conduct a retail theft mission in the Mall 205 and Gateway areas. The mission resulted in the recovery of nearly $3,000 in stolen merchandise. PPB and MCSO have partnered on several missions which have resulted in hundreds of arrests and warrants served. PPB works in collaboration with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) Retail Theft Task Force to present the cases in court for criminal prosecution.
Final results of the mission are still being calculated, but initial unconfirmed tallies indicate that 24 people were arrested. Two faced felony charges, 20 faced misdemeanor charges, and 4 were served with criminal citations that require an appearance in court next month. Also, six felony and nine misdemeanor warrants were serviced. Nearly $3000 in stolen merchandise was recovered (see details below). A stolen vehicle was also recovered.
Officers initiated 13 vehicle stops. One of the stops resulted in a suspect attempting to elude police into Washington State. Two mission officers observed a suspicious person in the parking lot of Mall 205 standing by a 2014 Honda Civic. The man jumped into the car and sped away from the officers, committing numerous traffic violations and failing to yield to the police vehicle’s emergency lights. The officers pursued the driver onto northbound I-205, but the suspect drove at reckless speeds estimated to exceed 100 miles per hour. Officers terminated the pursuit as he drove over the bridge into Vancouver. Officers relayed information to the Vancouver Police Department. VPD officers located the 40-year-old suspect and later arrested him. He is expected to face additional charges in Multnomah County related to the elude and reckless driving (case 24-95089). The assistance of the Portland Police Air Support Unit was critical in this arrest.
Source: Portland Police Bureau