What you need to know:
- A 33-year-old suspect is accused of stealing a Boulder Fire-Rescue battery-electric fire engine from outside the Boulder County Jail, triggering a major multi-agency response and resulting in a $100,000 bond
- Law enforcement tracked the stolen Rosenbauer RTX electric fire engine from Boulder to Longmont, where officers deployed stop sticks and used pursuit intervention tactics, including repeated ramming at speeds reaching up to 70 mph to stop the vehicle
- The suspect was arrested around 4:14 a.m. after abandoning the fire engine and fleeing on foot, with deputies from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office and officers in Longmont completing the arrest following a brief pursuit
- Officials report that the $1.7 million electric fire engine and multiple Boulder County Sheriff's Office vehicles were damaged during the incident, with at least $25,000 in losses, while Boulder Fire-Rescue continues to assess the full extent of the damage as the investigation remains ongoing
A 33-year-old suspect is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly taking a Boulder Fire-Rescue battery-electric fire engine that was parked outside the Boulder County Jail on April 29, then leading law enforcement on a multi-agency pursuit across Boulder County. He is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.
According to the Boulder Police Department and local NBC affiliate 9 News, the strange sequence of events began shortly after midnight when officers arrested the man on a third-degree trespassing charge in north Boulder. He was booked and later released at approximately 3:30 a.m.
While emergency personnel with Boulder Fire-Rescue were inside the jail facility responding to a medical call, authorities say the suspect accessed a staged Rosenbauer RTX positioned outside and drove away without authorization.
Law enforcement agencies quickly launched a coordinated response. Deputies tracked the stolen apparatus as it moved through Boulder and into Longmont. During the pursuit, officers deployed stop sticks in an attempt to disable the vehicle and reduce the risk to the public.
[Related: Inside the small Colorado city with a fully electric garbage truck fleet]
As the situation escalated, deputies also used direct vehicle intervention tactics, including multiple deliberate ramming maneuvers while the fire engine was traveling at speeds estimated between 50 and 70 miles per hour. One deputy alone reportedly struck the vehicle approximately 15 times in efforts to bring the pursuit to a safe end.
The pursuit concluded when the fire engine was finally brought to a stop. The suspect then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended by responding deputies with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office and officers from Longmont. Authorities say the arrest occurred at approximately 4:14 a.m. following a brief foot chase through the area.
Officials estimate the stolen electric fire engine, valued at roughly $1.7 million, sustained significant damage during the incident. Three additional vehicles belonging to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office were also damaged during the pursuit. An affidavit places the total damage to the fire engine alone at a minimum of $25,000, including destruction to all four tires and exterior components.
Following his arrest, authorities say the suspect made unusual statements, including a claim that the vehicle "belonged to him because of the 'Lord.'" Investigators have not indicated any evidence supporting that claim.
Boulder Fire-Rescue officials are continuing to evaluate the full extent of the damage to the fire engine as the investigation remains active.
