A man suspected of stealing a truck in southern Colorado was shot by police after allegedly leading law enforcement on a more than 50-mile chase down Interstate 25.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, shot at law enforcement an unknown number of times after driving off the road into a Pueblo County field, investigators said. One Monument police officer shot back, injuring the suspect.
Monument police officers in El Paso County responded at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a pickup truck stolen in town, according to a news release from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
Police followed the stolen truck onto I-25 and chased it south, toward Colorado Springs, sheriff’s officials said.
Colorado State Patrol troopers learned of the stolen car and police chase at about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and, minutes later, had an aircraft following the truck from above as it sped down I-25, according to the release.
The suspect driver exited the highway near Pueblo and fired at least once at the group of law enforcement officers following the truck, sheriff’s officials said.
Pueblo County deputies joined the chase after the suspect left the highway. Shortly after, the suspect drove off the road into a field near Purcell Boulevard and Fairbanks Drive, according to the sheriff’s office.
The truck stalled in the field and the suspect shot several more times at law enforcement, sheriff’s officials said.
A Monument police officer, who had followed the suspect from the beginning, returned fire and shot the man an unknown number of times, according to Pueblo County sheriff’s officials. At least one bullet hit the suspect, and he was taken to a Colorado Springs hospital by helicopter.
The 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team — which includes the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, and the District Attorney’s Office — will investigate the shooting.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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