College Police Believe Man Responsible For Stealing Projectors
ABC-7 News, Denver
Denver, Colo. -- A Pikes Peak Community College police officer was dragged briefly Tuesday morning when he tried to stop a man suspected of stealing four school projectors.
The man fled in a black GMC Jimmy and is still at large. The officer, Val Maluia, was treated for scrapes and bruises.
The encounter began just after 7 a.m. when an off-duty police officer called Maluia for backup after he spotted the vehicle on the north campus parking lot and discovered that the plates for the GMC Jimmy was registered to a green Suzuki, said police spokesman George Sanchez.
During this time, the man got out of his car, walked on to campus with a black handbag and then quickly returned. While the man sat in his car, Maluia approached the vehicle, Sanchez said.
The man initially turned off the ignition and handed the officer his license but then quickly drove off. Maluia reached into the car to try to stop him but got stuck and was dragged a short ways until he was able to free himself when the man drove through a ditch.
Police believe the man they are looking for is responsible for the theft of two on-campus projectors last week and two more projector thefts on Monday.