Michael Lockerbie

A 61-year-old Jamestown man is facing charges after allegedly shoplifting and leading police on a pursuit through Ellicott and Kiantone.

Around 10:16 a.m. Sunday, officers of the Jamestown Police Department responded to a shoplifting at Tops on Washington Street. It was reported that a male stole a variety of items from the store and then fled on foot after being confronted by staff.

Staff advised officers that the male had driven to the store in a vehicle that was still parked. Around 12:18 p.m., officers observed the vehicle leave Tops and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to comply and lead officers on a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit went through the City of Jamestown, Town of Ellicott and ended in the Town of Kiantone.

The operator was placed into custody and identified as Michael Lockerbie. It was discovered that Lockerbie was the male who had stolen from Tops and returned to his vehicle. Further investigation found that Lockerbie was operating the vehicle under the influence of drugs. He was charged with petit larceny, two counts of first-degree felony reckless endangerment, first-degree felony aggravated unlicensed operation, DWAI, and multiple traffic tickets.

He was being held in the Jamestown City Jail pending arraignment. Jamestown Police were assisted by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.

Lockerbie was sentenced to five years probation in Warren County, Pa., in June 2025 to satisfy his plea agreements in a pair of retail theft cases in the Warren area. Lockerbie had been charged in March 2025 with third-degree felony retail theft – taking merchandise, and driving while operating privileges suspended or revoked by Conewango Township Police for shoplifting that allegedly took place March 14. He pleaded guilty to both charges in the Court of Common Pleas. Lockerbie was also charged on a separate docket by Conewango Township Police on March 20, 2025, with third-degree felony retail theft – taking merchandise and defiant trespass for shoplifting that allegedly took place March 20, 2025. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of retail theft -taking merchandise while the charge of defiant trespass was not prosecuted.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Conewango police officers were notified of a reported theft from Lowe’s on Market Street. Store employees compiled a file with statements from store employees, reports, receipts, video footage and photographs detailing $1,943.98 in alleged thefts that had taken place between Feb. 19, 2025, and Feb. 24, 2025. Included in the file were photographs of a blue Kia Sportage licensed in New York. A search of police databases showed the same license plate registered to a 2013 Chevrolet Impala tied to a previous retail theft at Walmart in 2019. The registered owner of both vehicles is the same person living at the same address in Jamestown, N.Y.

Among items Lockerbie allegedly stole from Lowe’s over several days is a pair of scissors that he used to cut security devices off of a Dewalt drill and a brushless planer on Feb. 19, a Dewalt reciprocating saw, a Dewalt impact gun, several items from a Dewalt cut-out display, a Dewalt sander and a Dewalt oscillating tool.

Officers secured an arrest warrant for Lockerbie for the alleged Lowe’s thefts and, on March 20, were notified a vehicle identified as the same vehicle Lockerbie was allegedly driving during the Lowe’s thefts was seen near Warren Commons. Officers began to search the area for the vehicle and told Walmart’s loss prevention specialist that Lockerbie may be in the area. The Walmart employee then called police and said Lockerbie was leaving the Walmart store.