Chase Ends In Death
FLORENCE – It was a scene straight out of a movie, as police chased a suspect in a dump truck for over an hour.
It all began after Police responded to a disturbance call at a convenience store in Pueblo. When they arrived, one of the suspects managed to get into a dump truck and take off, leading police on a chase all the way into Fremont County.
“The pursuit continued westbound on US HWY 50 through Pueblo County eventually into the city limits of Florence,” said Thom LeDoux, the District Attorney of the 11th Judical District.
At the press conference held Saturday afternoon, officials said that several spike strips were laid down to try and stop the dump truck, but it was finally a car wash that did the trick. In Florence, the suspect crashed the dump truck into a car wash at a gas station.
Inside the nearby gas station, Erica Mattson was just working on opening up the store.
“I was doing my regular duties washing the windows off and I saw two cops pull in,” she said. “He pulled up in front of the door in case the guy tried to come barreling this way, he pulled up with his gun out and opened my door and told me to lock my door and just go.”
Erica says, she locked the doors and ran to the office where she barricaded herself for 20 minutes.
“I was frantic, and the only thing I could think about as that I had an 8 month old daughter and what’s going to happen to her if anything happens to me,” she explained.
Meanwhile, police surrounded the dump truck and eventually pulled the suspect out by using their tazers. Moments later after the unnamed suspect was taken into custody, police say he began having medical problems. By now, Mattson was back outside watching the events unfold.
“I saw a cop doing CPR on him and then an ambulance came and took him in a gurney and took him away,” said Mattson.
According to police, the suspect later died from unknown medical complications at St. Francis Moore Hospital in Canon City. An autopsy has been completed and NEWSCHANNEL 13 is awaiting the results.
Pueblo County Sheriff, Kirk Taylor says that 4 deputies have been placed on Administrative Leave with pay. Taylor says it is a standard procedure in a situation like this one. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident and more information will be released once that is complete.
Police have not released the name of the suspect, or what happened at the original disturbance in Pueblo. Police are also not saying how the suspect managed to take control of a dump truck.
Stay tuned to NEWSCHANNEL 13 and KRDO.com for the latest.
