Portland Police Bureau officers arrested the driver of a stolen car after she rammed into a patrol car to evade capture. Two others in the vehicle were arrested on unrelated warrants.
On Wednesday June 28, 2017, at 4:05 p.m., Central Precinct officers spotted a stolen car being driven northbound on Southwest 2nd Avenue near Washington Street. Additional officers responded to assist and at Southwest 10th Avenue and Burnside Street, officers used police cars in an attempt to box in the driver.
As officers approached the driver's side of the vehicle, the driver put the car into gear. Officers discharged pepper spray into the vehicle, but the driver was able to ram her way past an unoccupied police car, and sped away northbound on 10th Avenue. Officers could see that the vehicle was occupied by the female driver and several male passengers.
Officers pursued the driver for several blocks but, after determining that no officers were injured in the ramming, terminated the pursuit due to the suspect's dangerous driving.
In the area of Northwest 26th Avenue and Naito Parkway, the stolen car was found empty and officers began an area search for the suspect driver and passengers. Three male passengers were located at the McDonald's restaurant on Northwest Yeon Avenue. The female driver was found hiding in a dumpster nearby and taken into custody without incident.
The driver, 23-year-old Elizabeth Cheyenne Hefner, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on multiple charges including Unlawful Use of a Vehicle, Attempt to Elude by Vehicle, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.