Executive Summary
- Kyren J. Collier, 18, faces charges of first-degree robbery and coercion following an incident in SE Portland.
- The victim reported being carjacked at gunpoint by a masked man wielding a TEC-9 semiautomatic handgun.
- Police allege Collier led officers on a high-speed chase reaching 70 mph before crashing on Powell Boulevard.
- Authorities recovered a firearm and arrested the suspect, who was found hiding in a bush near the crash site.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Prosecutors have charged 18-year-old Kyren J. Collier with first-degree robbery and a litany of other felonies following an alleged armed carjacking and a subsequent high-speed police pursuit in Southeast Portland earlier this week.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by prosecutors, the sequence of events began when the owner of a BMW, who admitted to police he had been consuming alcohol, fell asleep in the backseat of his vehicle while an acquaintance drove. The victim told investigators that upon waking, he found that a young man, later identified as Collier, had entered the car. After the group stopped at a gas station and picked up two additional men, they proceeded to a drop-off location on Southeast Naegeli Drive.
Court documents state that upon arrival, the situation turned violent when one of the passengers produced a firearm described as a TEC-9, a high-capacity semiautomatic handgun. The BMW owner reported to police that a masked gunman held the weapon to his head and ordered him to run from the vehicle. The suspects then fled the scene in the stolen BMW with the female acquaintances still inside.
Hours later, police officers located the stolen vehicle traveling eastbound on Glisan Street. According to the police report, when officers initiated a traffic stop, the driver attempted to elude capture, cutting across lanes of traffic and running a red light while reaching speeds of 70 mph. The pursuit concluded when the suspect vehicle crashed into another car on Southeast Powell Boulevard. Police allege the driver discarded an object from his waistband before fleeing on foot; officers subsequently discovered Collier hiding in a bush and recovered a TEC-9 style firearm near the arrest site.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Judicial & Public Safety Outlook
Collier is currently incarcerated at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail and faces charges including coercion, unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless endangerment, and reckless driving. With no prior convictions in Oregon, the upcoming legal proceedings will likely center on the forensic evidence linking the recovered weapon to the robbery and the severity of the reckless driving charges, which underscore the significant danger posed to the community during the attempt to evade law enforcement.
