On Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 11:05 a.m., Portland Police Officers assigned to East Precinct responded to a report of a welfare check on two people seen unconscious in a vehicle in the area of Southeast 60th Avenue and Southeast Francis Street. The officer approached and the driver woke up, backed the white Jeep Grand Cherokee into a PPB patrol vehicle, and took off at a high rate of speed.
The officers attempted to stop the driver, including deploying spike strips to flatten the tires, but the driver continued to speed, swerve in and out of lanes of traffic, fail to obey traffic control devices, and nearly cause crashes. The officers did not pursue the driver, hoping that she would stop driving recklessly in a manner that puts every other road user at extreme risk. However, and the driver continued recklessly driving. The vehicle's left front tire, which had been flattened, was worn down to the metal rim, but she continued eluding.
In a coordinated fashion, officers attempted to get her stopped, including attempts to use intervention techniques. Finally, after several minutes, the driver lost control at Southeast 34th Avenue and Southeast Insley Street, crashing into a parked, unoccupied vehicle. Officers moved up and arrested the driver and a passenger. The passenger was in possession of a loaded firearm, which was later discovered to be stolen. The Jeep was also stolen.
No injuries were apparent, but due to the violent crash and airbags being deployed, the driver and passenger were transported to the hospital by ambulance for an evaluation, then they were driven to jail.
The driver, Kyliana S. Strickland, 21, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (drugs), Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (property damage) (4 counts), Interfering with a Peace Officer (2 counts), and Resisting Arrest. She also had active arrest warrants.
The passenger, Jacob K. Richardson, 24, was booked into the MCDC on charges of Distribution of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine, Distribution of a Controlled Substance-Cocaine, Theft in the First Degree of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and multiple arrest warrants.
The gun, a loaded semiautomatic handgun, was seized as evidence (photo). The SUV was towed. No officers were injured. The police vehicle was undamaged due to its heavy-duty protective front bumper.
Source: Portland Police