By Lauren Penington, Katie Langford
The Denver Post
AURORA, Colo. — A Tuesday morning police chase started when a man stole an Aurora patrol car and ended with a crash near Buckley Space Force Base, temporarily shutting down part of Alameda Avenue, police said.
After a 40-minute pursuit, an Aurora police sergeant intentionally crashed into the stolen patrol car and forced the suspect to stop, police spokesperson Gabby Easterwood said in an email to The Denver Post.
Aurora officers responded to reports of a burglary in the 700 block of Oswego Court at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Easterwood said. About 11 minutes later, the 31-year-old man jumped into a police car parked outside the Aurora home and took off.
Aurora police cars are equipped with anti-theft devices that allow the engine to run while making it impossible to drive without keys in the vehicle. The officer had the keys, but the device wasn’t enabled, which allowed the suspect to drive off, Easterwood said. The reason the device wasn’t activated is also under investigation.
The man led officers on a chase around the city for roughly 30 minutes before he lost a tire while trying to turn onto Alameda Avenue from South Airport Boulevard at 9:15 a.m., Easterwood said. That’s when the police sergeant crashed into the suspect.
The man was arrested on suspicion of burglary, aggravated motor vehicle theft and vehicular eluding.
Both the sergeant and the suspect were injured in the crash but have since been released from the hospital, Aurora police said. No other injuries or related crashes were reported.
The intersection of Alameda and Airport was temporarily closed for the crash cleanup and investigation, but reopened just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
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