Felon’s vehicle crashes and burns on New Year’s Eve

It wasn’t a long pursuit – but the escape vehicle wound up as a burnt-out hulk. Take a look …

After a Jeep Grand Cherokee takes off from officers in the Centennial neighborhood near Parklane Park, police start looking for the passengers who took off when it crashed, on New Year’s Eve.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

On New Year’s Eve, Centennial neighborhood resident Paul Holladay – whose home is on SE Main Street, just north of Parklane Park – was on the telephone, wishing a distant friend a “Happy New Year” on the phone when he heard what sounded like an explosion in front of his house.

“About 7:45 p.m., there was an awful ‘boom’,” Holladay told East Portland News. “I went out to my garage, and looked out of the back, and I saw two guys going over our seven-foot-high chain link fence.”

A neighbor finds that this Jeep SUV has mowed down one of his front yard trees, and then burst into flames.

When he walked out front, he found a Jeep SUV “climbing” the westmost of three trees in his outer East Portland front yard. It was smoking, and then burst into flames. One of the lower limbs it hit broke off; other branches from the tree damaged the gutter of this house.

“I feel lucky, if it hadn’t been for the tree, that SUV might have plowed clear through the house,” Holladay reflected.

The incident started at SE Main Street and 148th Avenue, when a Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct District Officer attempted a traffic stop of a dark green SUV at 7:41 p.m., later explained PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Greg Stewart.

An East Precinct officer examines what was now the burned-out shell of a SUV.

The driver had no intention of talking with the officer, and took off eastbound. “The Jeep fled from police,” Stewart said. “The vehicle crashed shortly thereafter, at the corner of SE 158th Avenue and Main Street. Several suspects fled the vehicle.”

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the vehicle fire, and snuffed it out moments after they arrived.

“Officers began establishing a perimeter to locate the suspects,” Stewart continued. “A K9 Unit responded and officers checked the area for suspects.”

Indeed, a trio of suspects was detained, and the three spent the first minutes of 2016 in jail, without traditional headgear, snacks, confetti and noisemakers.

Facing numerous charges is 21-year-old Rasool Islam. MCDC booking photo

21-year-old Rasool Islam was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 10:28 p.m. on December 31. After his arraignment, he faces two counts of First Degree Burglary, multiple counts of First and Second Degree Trespass, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Escape III, and Criminal Mischief II. Islam is also being held without bail for parole violation – at Multnomah County Inverness Jail.

Also arrested is 22-year-old Adonis Lapreal Thompson. MCDC booking photo

22-year-old Adonis Lapreal Thompson was booked into MCDC at 10:53 p.m. that same evening. After his arraignment, Thompson is charged with Interfering with a Police Officer, and two counts of Second Degree Trespass, with a combined bail of $4,500. Nonetheless, he remains in custody, held without bail at MCDC, for Parole Violation.

27-year-old Charles Lewis-Davis is the third man of the trio to spend New Year’s Eve in jail. MCDC booking photo

The third suspect arrested was 27-year-old Charles Lewis-Davis, who was booked into MCDC at 10:51 p.m., and faces Parole Violation charges. Lewis-Davis is also being held without bail at Inverness Jail.

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