Portland Police have a 34-year old male in custody as a possible robbery suspect after a police chase and SERT action near NE 122nd and Halsey this morning.
According to local residents, a police perimeter was set up in the area shortly after 8:00 this morning. Some residents were allowed to leave the perimeter, but none were allowed back in until after 12:00 p.m., when the police had taken the possible suspect into custody and decided to release the perimeter.
Portland Police spokesperson Mary Wheat made a brief statement around noon, saying that "this individual was taken into custody in a back yard near 126th and Hassalo," and that they are still searching for a possible second suspect, but that this person is not a safety concern for the general public at this time.
UPDATE - 8/11/09 10:30 p.m. The Portland Police Bureau issued a news release today without many new details. According to the release, the incident began around 7:40 a.m. on August 11, when police attempted contact with two people in a vehicle near NE 122nd and Holladay. The subjects fled down Halsey in their vehicle, pursued by police, and then ran from the vehicle near NE 126th and Hassalo. The perimeter was set up because police believed that at least one of the subjects was armed and might have been involved in a nearby robbery.
