Suspect steals Aurora police car, leads officers on chase ending in crash

A Tuesday morning police chase started when an unidentified 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, a man jumped into a police car parked outside the Aurora home and took off.

Police are still investigating if the man is connected to the burglary, she said.

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 40 minutes before 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.

Police have not publicly identified the suspect, but Easterwood said he was arrested at the scene of the crash. Potential charges are still under investigation.

Both the sergeant and the suspect were injured in the crash, but both are expected to recover, Easterwood 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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