PARK COUNTY, Colo. — A man was arrested after he allegedly stole a Park County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle and fled from authorities.
Around 3:09 a.m. Monday, deputies with the Teller County Sheriff's Office responded to the 1700 block of Vagabond Creek Drive in Florissant after receiving a report of a domestic violence in progress, according to a probable cause statement. While driving to the residence, deputies learned around 3:27 a.m. that the person who had called 911 said a "Park County sheriff" was on the scene and appeared intoxicated. The person also reported that a Park County Sheriff's Office vehicle at the home was damaged, according to a probable cause statement.
Deputies arrived around 3:37 a.m. and started to walk up the home. A marked white Park County Sheriff's Office patrol unit was parked outside in the driveway. A person in the vehicle started to drive down the driveway toward the approaching deputies, who shined a flashlight at the vehicle and announced they were with the Teller County Sheriff's Office. The driver stopped the vehicle and a deputy ordered the person to turn the vehicle off and step out, but the person accelerated down the driveway and headed toward Highway 24, according to a probable cause statement.
The sheriff's office later learned from the person who called 911 that the suspect had sped up the driveway and turned on the vehicle's siren as it approached the home earlier that morning. The suspect got out of the car and asked a resident, "Where's the old man that's going to shoot someone?" according to a probable cause statement.
The suspect driver was later identified as Jeremiah James Taylor, 33.
In a press release, the sheriff's office said authorities searched for the vehicle until about 5:25 a.m., when they saw the stolen vehicle on westbound Highway 24 in Divide and then pursued the driver. Teller County deputies attempted to pull him over, but he continued driving, reaching speeds of about 110 mph for several miles, according to the probable cause statement.
Taylor turned right onto County Road 77, where he continued speeding and then turned right onto Matukat Road. Several miles down the road, he crashed, got out of the vehicle, and ran away into the woods.
Deputies found Taylor about 200 yards from the vehicle and demanded to see his hands. He did not comply, and then pulled out a knife. Deputies demanded that he drop it, but he continued to hold it, according to a probable cause statement.
At some point during this interaction, a deputy used a Taser on Taylor and another deputy fired one round.
Taylor was then taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital for self-inflicted knife wounds, the sheriff's office said.
During the subsequent investigation, the Teller County Sheriff's Office learned that Taylor had burglarized the Park County Sheriff’s Office's Lake George substation, where he stole the sheriff's vehicle. While in the vehicle, Taylor heard a call from Teller County broadcasted over a police radio and went to the address of the call, where he ran into the Teller County deputies, the sheriff's office said.
Taylor faces charges of:
- Aggravated motor vehicle theft
- Vehicular eluding
- Impersonating a peace officer
- Obstruction
- Resisting arrest
- Reckless endangerment
- Second-degree burglary
- Reckless driving
Authorities are investigating multiple other crimes Taylor may have been involved in before he was arrested.
He was on probation for menacing, theft and DUI at the time of this arrest.
Anybody with information on this incident is asked to call the Park County Sheriff at 719-836-4121 (option 5) or the Teller County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 719-687-9657.
