Driver rams cops near Holgate; captured miles away

See the outcome of this unusual ‘stolen vehicle’ crime that ended up just west of outer East Portland …

Police close down neighborhood streets after a man attempts to run over a police officer.

Story by David F. Ashton

After attempting a traffic stop on the driver of a stolen truck in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood, Thursday morning, February 16 – a Central Precinct officer was nearly run over by the thief, who then rammed aside a PPB undercover vehicle, and took off – eventually causing a serious injury wreck in Mt. Scott-Arleta, before he was caught hiding in a nearby yard.

It all started at 10:19 a.m. Two uniformed PPB Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team officers (NRT) were investigating a suspected-stolen black 2017 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck near S.E. 35th Place and Cora Drive, a block north of Holgate Boulevard.

This red pickup truck, the victim of the after the head-on crash, sustained heavy damage from its collision with the speeding and erratically-driven truck. PPB provided image

Instead of getting out of the truck as he had been directed, the suspect started up the truck, and backed into the NRT officers’ unmarked police vehicle behind him. Then, the man drove forward, trying to hit one of the officers with the truck. When the officer jumped out of the way, the suspect drove straight toward the officer – who leapt in front of his parked vehicle for protection. The suspect rammed the back of the officer’s PPB vehicle, pushing it forward.

The officer was unhurt, but the other NRT officer radioed for assistance as the suspect departed toward S.E. Holgate Boulevard. Soon, 24 PPB units swarmed the area, looking for that pickup truck.

After being deliberately rammed by the driver of what turned out to be a stolen truck, this unmarked PPB SUV sustained considerable damage to its left rear bumper and tailgate. PPB provided image

Another officer, while checking the area, spotted the suspect driving on S.E. Woodstock Boulevard at 44th Avenue. The driver of the stolen truck eluded that officer who instigated a traffic stop. The suspect again sped off, driving recklessly, and officers again lost sight of it.

A couple of minutes, and 2.3 miles, further on in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, officers came across a head-on crash, involving that same truck and red pickup truck at S.E. 72nd Avenue at Tolman Street.

After the impact, the stolen Chevy pickup had careened over the curb, across the sidewalk, and into a nearby yard. The suspect jumped out, ran off, and disappeared. But, his hiding place in a nearby a backyard was quickly sniffed out by a police K-9, and he was arrested within three minutes.

Although the victim in the head-on crash appeared to be injured, that person was treated by paramedics and decided not to be taken to a hospital. “Officers gave her a ride home, and she will seek medical care later,” a PPB spokesperson said.
As a result of being involved in a crash, the suspect underwent precautionary medical evaluation at a local hospital, before being taken to the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) downtown for booking.

Here’s the stolen Chevrolet Silverado, its door open, stopped in a nearby front yard after the head-on crash that ended the crime spree. PPB provided image

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Joshua Lee Smith of Portland, was booked into the MCDC at 6:36 p.m. on the following charges: Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (felony), Attempt to Elude Police on Foot (misdemeanor), Reckless Driving, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver with Injury (felony), Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver with Property Damage (misdemeanor), Assault in the Third Degree (2 counts), Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (2 counts), Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, and an existing arrest warrant.

Currently, bail Smith’s eight (8) Felony and five (5) Misdemeanor charges are set at $0.00; however, he is being held in the MCDC in lieu of $40,000 bail on a “County Hold” for the outstanding arrest warrant.

If you have information to contribute about this case, please e-mail: crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov; to the attention of Central NRT, and refer to Case No. 23-43430.

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