Stolen Vehicle Pursuit in Grand Forks

 

On November 6, 2018, at approximately 2:53 am, an officer from the Grand Forks Police Department attempted to stop a 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva in the 2000 blk of 27th Ave. S.  The driver refused to pull over and a pursuit ensued through the south end of Grand Forks.  At one point during the pursuit the Achieva struck a curb and lost its rear passenger side wheel.  The Achieva continued to flee until it ran into a dead end in the 5800 blk of Lou Ann St. and spun out in a muddy area.  In order to prevent the vehicle from starting to flee again officers utilized a Tactical Vehicle Intercept (TVI) maneuver, essentially pinning the Achieva’s front and rear bumpers with the front bumpers of two patrol vehicles.  

The driver was taken into custody and eventually identified as 25-year-old Grand Forks resident Paul Fitzgerald Smith II.  The Achieva was discovered to have been stolen out of Fargo.

Smith II has preliminarily been charged with Fleeing in a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Possession of Stolen Property, Terrorizing, Resisting Arrest, Driving Under Suspension, Driving Under the Influence, Providing False Information to Law Enforcement, and Ingesting a Controlled Substance.  Smith II also had an active warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear in court.

The Grand Forks Police Department was assisted during this investigation by the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Department.