Authorities Identify Man Involved in Stolen Police Cruiser Wreck

Grand Forks Police have identified the man involved in a case where he had a struggle with police, stole their cruiser and wrecked it later, dying in the crash.

Police say the suspect is 33-year-old Jordan Lee Poitra.

At approximately 5:05 p.m. Monday, officers were called to the Dollar Tree in Grand Forks for a male subject with unknown problems. The subject was located.

During the course of the conversation, officers learned Poitra, the male subject, had a warrant for his arrest out of Cass County. When officers attempted to arrest him, a fight began. Over the course of the fight, he attempted to disarm at least one of the officers.  To correct an earlier report, the department says the officer’s holster was not broken, but had been manipulated in Poitra’s attempt to withdraw the officer’s sidearm.  At least one officer deployed a Taser in an attempt to subdue Poitra, but was unsuccessful.  The male disengaged from officers, and fled the scene in the patrol vehicle. 

Poitra fled the scene to the west on 17th Avenue South at a very high rate of speed.  He drove through the termination of 17th Avenue South, continuing through the fence protecting Interstate 29, and turned north on the Interstate.  He traveled a short distance on the Interstate before angling to the west, crossing the median northbound traveling to the north-northwest, and striking a southbound semi tractor-trailer in nearly a head-on collision.  The collision left the semi disabled and partially off the roadway, the patrol vehicle destroyed, and Mr. Poitra deceased.