Armed Car Thief Escapes Capture In Gresham: Police

GRESHAM, OR — An armed car thief reportedly escaped police pursuit late Monday, and now Gresham authorities are seeking any information that could help them locate the suspect.

A Gresham police officer reportedly spotted a stolen minivan in a parking lot near Southwest Highland Drive and Southwest 11th Street just before 10:45 p.m. April 30. Seeing the officer close in, the driver of the allegedly stolen vehicle drove the van into the officer's patrol car before fleeing west on West Powell Boulevard, authorities said.

A few hundred feet down the road the suspected car thief crashed into a median near the 17800-block of West Powell Boulevard. Stuck, the driver abandoned the minivan and took off on foot with an officer in pursuit.

Seeing the suspect was armed with a firearm, the officer reportedly fired his weapon. It's unclear whether the suspect was hit by the gunfire.

Officers continued to search the area but did not find the suspect, police authorities said.

The suspect is described as a white man, possibly in his 30s, with a "scruffy beard."

Anyone who has information that could assist this investigation is asked to call Gresham police at 503-618-2719.

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