A motorcyclist reportedly twice made an obscene gesture with his hand toward a Kent Police officer during a 1-mile pursuit on the East Hill.

The officer ended the chase after just more than a minute at about 11:19 p.m. on June 14 because of dangers to the driver and other vehicles, according to the police report. The motorcyclist entered the opposite lane of travel along 116th Avenue Southeast and had no lights on his bike.

The incident began when the officer drove westbound on Southeast 240th Street in a police vehicle and began to enter the intersection at 116th Avenue Southeast when he saw a dirt bike going northbound on 116th about to run a red light. The motorcyclist, who wore a black helmet and black leather jacket, skidded to a stop and avoided the police vehicle.

Right away, the driver stood up the motorcycle, started it and headed northbound on 116th. The officer activated his vehicle’s overhead lights and began to pursue the motorcycle.

As the motorcyclist sped away, he looked back at the officer and extended his left hand into the air with a raised middle finger. The chase continued eastbound on Southeast 234th Street at about 35 mph when the driver again flipped off the officer. The driver ran a stop sign as he turned northbound onto 120th Avenue Southeast and ran another stop sign while going west on Southeast 231st Place before turning back onto 116th when the officer terminated the pursuit.

The officer noted that he had spotted a white male on a similar motorcycle three weeks earlier riding without a helmet. He tried to stop the driver near 114th Way Southeast and Southeast 232nd Street but the driver fled and was last seen on the grounds of Park Orchard Elementary School. The officer didn’t chase the motorcyclist that time.

Man steals bike outside 7-Eleven

A man allegedly stole a bicycle from a woman at a 7-Eleven store and a short time later tried to sell the bike at a pawn shop before police arrested him for investigation of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A woman told officers she parked her bicycle on June 15 outside of the 7-Eleven at 511 Central Ave. S., and a man asked her if she could get him something to eat and drink, according to the police report.

The woman gave the man a dollar and they each went into the store. As the woman continued to shop, the man reportedly went back outside and rode away on her bicycle, according to witnesses.

Police then received a call from a business employee in the 600 block of West Meeker Street who reported a man trying to hide a bicycle in some bushes.

Officers caught the man near the bushes. He told police the bicycle belonged to a friend. But a manager of a nearby pawn shop told police the man had tried to sell him the bicycle but he refused to buy it.

When police searched a bag the man carried, they found a glass pipe. They also found a ceramic pipe with marijuana residue on it in the man’s pockets.

Grandfather spanks 2-year-old too hard

Police arrested a grandfather for investigation of fourth-degree assault after he allegedly grabbed a 2-year-old girl by the arm and spanked her hard four times in the leg at about 7:40 p.m. on June 13 at an apartment in the 1400 block of West Meeker Street.

The child and her mother were staying with the man, the father of the girl’s father, as they waited to find another place to live, according to the police report. The mother said the grandfather had no right to spank the girl.

The grandfather reportedly said he needed to discipline the girl because she is a brat. He allegedly grabbed her by the arm, lifted her in the air and spanked her hard four times on the leg. The girl had three red marks on her arm and minor redness on her leg, police said.

The man denied touching or hitting the girl. He told officers she needed discipline because she was throwing things in the apartment.

Man breaks outdoor lights

Officers arrested a man for investigation of third-degree malicious mischief after he reportedly broke three light bulbs on posts at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Central Avenue North.

The incident occurred at about 1:47 a.m. on June 14 after someone heard breaking glass and saw three men running from the light posts and into a nearby unit, according to the police report.

Officers saw a light on inside the apartment and knocked on the door. The men each denied they had broken any light bulbs but a witness recognized one of the men as running from the scene right after the sound of glass breaking.

Police also arrested one of the other men in the apartment because he had a warrant out of Kent for failure to appear on a driving under the influence charge.