Fugitive wanted for armed kidnapping caught in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A wanted fugitive suspected of committing an armed kidnapping in Colorado Springs was captured yesterday after evading law enforcement.

On Dec. 16, members of the U.S. Marshal Violent Offender Task Force of Southern Colorado were in Colorado Springs searching for Brandon Crozier, who had an outstanding warrant for parole violation. The warrant indicated that Crozier was a known narcotics user and considered armed and dangerous.

Police also suspected Crozier was involved in an armed kidnapping in Colorado Springs on Dec. 13, where he allegedly stole a car before eluding police.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), the task force received information that Crozier was in Colorado Springs, driving the car he'd stolen in Monument.

Around 3:30 p.m., detectives with the Metro Motor Vehicle Task Force (MVT) spotted the stolen vehicle near the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Academy Boulevard. The team called for support from the Colorado State Patrol Aircraft Unit to follow the vehicle from the air.

CSPD said Crozier eventually parked the stolen vehicle at a trailhead in Palmer Park off Paseo Road. CSPD, alongside the Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) and two members of the EPSO SWAT team, then worked to trap the car with armored vehicles, preventing Crozier from driving away before ordering him out of the vehicle.

Crozier refused to comply and instead attempted to escape by ramming into the vehicles surrounding him, but he was unable to get past the armored cars.

Tactical officers and SWAT team members then released a chemical agent into the stolen car, while K9 units ensured Crozier wasn't able to run into a nearby park. Once he was exposed to the chemical agents, police say Crozier surrendered, exiting the vehicle with his hands up.

"This operation was a successful example of law enforcement agencies working together to apprehend a dangerous fugitive," CSPD said. "Their coordination, strategic planning, and careful execution resulted in the safe capture of Crozier with minimal force used, preventing further harm to the public or officers."

When detectives searched the stolen car, they found a firearm and a large quantity of illegal narcotics, CSPD said.

Crozier was treated at the scene for exposure to the chemical agents before being transported to the Criminal Justice Center.