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On Thursday afternoon, 18-year-old Harold J. Carter bravely attempted a smoke shop robbery—because nothing says “master criminal” like targeting a business with cameras, witnesses, and police who already know exactly what getaway cars look like.
After the robbery, Harold enjoyed a generous 45-minute head start, which he used not to flee the metro area, but to hang around Southeast Portland like a lost DoorDash driver. When officers finally spotted him and tried to pull him over, Harold chose the bold legal strategy known as “Nah, I’m good.”
What followed was a short police pursuit that ended when officers physically explained to the suspect vehicle that it was done participating in crime. The car stopped. The plan stopped. Harold’s future plans also stopped.
Police recovered a handgun and a list of charges long enough to need its own paragraph, including First Degree Robbery, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Attempting to Elude Police, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangerment—also known as Speedrunning a Criminal Record (Any%).
The passenger was released without charges and likely without trust in anyone named Harold for the rest of their life.
More from Portland Police:
On Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 1:45 p.m., Portland Police Officers assigned to East Precinct responded to a report of a gunpoint robbery of a smoke shop in the 14600 block of Southeast Stark Street. No injuries were reported.
Officers gathered a description of the suspect and a vehicle and were looking for both. About 45 minutes later, at 2:28 p.m., two officers in a partner car radioed that they saw a suspect vehicle in the area of Southeast 146th Avenue and Southeast Main Street. They called in more resources and tried to initiate a traffic stop on the suspect. The suspect driver eluded and officers initiated a pursuit.
Officers coordinated efforts to intervene and end the pursuit as quickly as possible. Officers used their vehicle to disable the suspect vehicle and stop the elude at Northeast 111th Avenue and Northeast Sandy Boulevard. Two people were detained pending further investigation. Officers seized a handgun as evidence.
Detectives with the Portland Police Major Crimes Unit assisted with the investigation. Harold J. Carter, 18, of Vancouver, Washington, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Robbery in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Attempt to Elude Police (vehicle), Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangering Another Person. The passenger was released without charges.
If anyone has information about this case, please e-mail crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 25-345918.
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