COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office released a review Tuesday where they found an officer's actions in a deadly police chase justified.
The accident took place on April 13, 2023. According to police, a 911 call came in for a woman being held at gunpoint while two adult males stole her car from the Western Terrace Apartments near Fountain Blvd and Chelton Rd.
That call came in around 1 a.m., and patrol officer Noah Howard spotted the stolen Hyundai about an hour and a half later. Officer Howard would pursue the vehicle before losing it.
According to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office Officer Matt Anderson who picked up the chase on the suspect vehicle was permitted a pursuit and to perform a "tactical maneuver" to end the chase.
According to data from the computers of the suspect vehicle, they were going 90 mph when tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) was initiated. Data from Anderson's computer show he accelerated to 88 mph before decelerating to 57 mph right before initiating the TVI.
At the time of the accident, the suspect vehicle appears to have rolled several times, based on the extensive damage to the vehicle that our crew observed when they arrived on the scene at the intersection of South Circle Drive and East Pikes Peak Avenue.
20-year-old Henry Jackson, one of the suspects, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers attempted to administer aid, and another suspect was taken to an area hospital with undisclosed injuries. According to the District Attorney's Office report, both suspects were not wearing seatbelts.
No officers were injured in this incident, police say they recovered a loaded handgun at the scene, and the wallet of the victim whose car was stolen. You can read the District Attorney's Office abbreviated review here, the abbreviated review is not the full details of the investigation as a case is still pending against one of the suspects.
18-year-old D'Angelo Flynn was booked into the El Paso County Jail at the time of the accident. According to the district attorney's office Flynn, is facing charges of aggravated robbery and vehicular eluding as well as crime of violence. He will be in court on March 20.
CSPD's pursuit policy states, "Officers are authorized to engage in vehicle pursuits only when the officer reasonably believes the need to immediately apprehend the driver outweighs the risk the pursuit poses to the public and the officers, and the officer determines it is necessary to effect the arrest or to prevent the escape of a person whom the officer reasonably believes has committed or is committing a violent felony against a person."
Read the Colorado Springs Police Department Pursuit Policy for yourself.
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