Centralia Police Arrest Portland Robbery Suspect With Help From Flock Camera System

A suspect in a Portland robbery was arrested in Centralia on Thursday after officers used Flock License Plate Recognition System cameras  to locate the stolen vehicle he was driving. 

When officers tried to stop him, the suspect, Jamaal Green, 31, of Manhattan, Kansas, allegedly fled in the stolen vehicle, struck an occupied school bus then fled on foot before he was apprehended Thursday, June 29. 

Green is accused of assaulting two workers at a warehouse in Portland and stealing a Penske box truck filled with new tires going out for delivery to local businesses on Thursday morning, according to a news release from the Centralia Police Department. 

At approximately 10:42 a.m., one of the victims was able to electronically track the vehicle to the 400 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia.

Officers from the Centralia Police Department responded to the area but were unable to locate the stolen truck, according to the news release. 

After a Centralia patrol sergeant learned the stolen truck hadn’t been entered into the national records system, officers checked the city’s Flock Safety camera system and confirmed the vehicle was driving around Centralia, according to the news release. 

At 10:50 a.m., the Centralia patrol sergeant entered the vehicle into the Flock Safety system and requested alerts if the stolen vehicle was located in the area. About 20 minutes later, at 11:12 a.m., the Flock system located the vehicle in the area of Mellen and Yew streets. 

Centralia officers responded to the area and attempted to stop the stolen Penske truck, but Green allegedly failed to stop, fled from officers for three blocks then turned down a dead-end street after striking an occupied school bus, according to the news release. Green then allegedly stopped the vehicle and fled on foot. 

An officer and a patrol sergeant chased Green on foot for two blocks before they caught him and took him into custody.        

He was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 12:05 p.m. on Thursday for attempting to elude, possession of stolen property and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to jail records. 

He had a preliminary hearing scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday in Lewis County Superior Court, where charges were expected to be filed. 

“Detectives from the Centralia Police Department are conducting a follow up-investigation to identify any additional local charges and working with Portland law enforcement regarding the robbery,” the Centralia Police Department stated in a news release. 

The department encourages anyone with information about the suspect to contact them at  360-330-7680 or contact Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.

Flock Safety is an Atlanta-based security company specializing in automated license plate recognition technology. Cameras are designed to provide law enforcement with leads they need to start investigations by providing license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions, which include the make, model and color of the vehicle, according to previous Chronicle reporting. 

The Centralia Police Department began a two-month trial of the Flock system in April, installing 20 cameras around Centralia. In that two-month period, Centralia police had 22 stolen vehicle hits with the camera system and solved 20 significant crimes, according to previous Chronicle reporting. 

The City of Chehalis approved a year-long lease to test up to 15 of the cameras for its own police department on Monday.