Court documents shed light on crime-spree ending in murder suspect crashing police vehicle

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Court records reveal what led up to a murder suspect crashing the vehicle of a Colorado Springs police officer.

According to an arrest affidavit, a man broke into an apartment complex at 233 E. Arvada St. Friday night. A woman who lived there, Janie McNally, told police the man asked her for a gun and when she said she didn't have one he entered the bedroom.

McNally told police the man entered the bedroom where someone she only knew as "Bam," later identified as 59-year-old Charles Slabaugh, was in. She went on to say that's when she ran out of the apartment to get help.

According to the affidavit, McNally told police she didn't know who the man was or what happened after she ran to a neighbor's apartment.

In the affidavit, the neighbor, identified as Mark Sadler, told police he went back to the apartment with an ax. When he got there, he told police he saw Slabaugh on the floor with his abdomen cut open and intestines hanging out. Standing above him was the suspect, who was in the process of holding the victim's head and sawing his neck with an unknown object.

Sadler told police he yelled for others to call 911 and yelled at the unknown man. That's when the man grabbed a cane inside the apartment, broke another window, and ran out.

According to the affidavit, Salder confronted the suspect and the man began "jabbing" him with the cane. Sadler said he hit the man with the flat portion of the ax, telling police he did that because he didn't want to kill the suspect.

The affidavit says another witness police spoke with also said he saw the suspect cutting the abdomen and neck of Slabaugh.

Police became involved at 9:50 p.m. when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Communications Center received a report of a man threatening someone with a knife in the 200 block of E. Arvada St.

According to the arrest affidavit, the reporting party told police he was contacted by a man in the parking lot of the apartment complex asking for a ride. That's when the man grabbed the reporting party and pulled out a knife.

The affidavit says when Officer Brandon Lowe arrived at the scene, the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Osemeke Uwadibie, tried to stop him from exiting his patrol vehicle.

The affidavit says Uwadibie struck Ofc. Lowe with what was possibly a cane. Eventually, Ofc. Lowe was able to get out of his patrol vehicle. That's when Uwadibie got into the cruiser and took off down southbound I-25.

While he was driving away, the affidavit says Ofc. Lowe discharged "multiple rounds from his handgun" at Uwadibie.

Other responding officers managed to catch up with Uwadibie after it became disabled when he was involved in "multiple motor vehicle accidents on I-25."

Police say Uwadibie was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.

According to the affidavit, Uwadibie sustained at least one gunshot wound to the left arm/wrist area.

Uwadibie has since been booked into the El Paso County Jail on the charge of murder in the first degree.

Police say this is still an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000. To remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-7867.

According to the CSPD, this is the 19th homicide investigation in the city so far in 2022. This time last year, CSPD investigated 17 homicides.

Per policy, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office is taking over the investigation of the officer-involved shooting. According to CSPD, the officer involved in the shooting suffered minor injuries and is on administrative leave.