By Erika Hernandez
A man identified as Richmond Takashi Johnson, 33, was arrested after allegedly stealing a fire truck parked outside a jail in Boulder, Coloradoearly Wednesday morning, just moments after being released.
According to the Boulder Police Department, Johnson had previously been arrested around midnight for alleged third-degree burglary, following reports that he was trying to open doors of vehicles and homes in a residential neighborhood.
He was released at approximately 3:30 a.m., in accordance with state law. Shortly afterward, emergency crews responded to the jail for an unrelated medical call, leaving the fire truck outside.
Highway chase and suspect capture
While the rescuers attended to the emergency inside the facility, Johnson allegedly entered the fire truck and drove about a mile before being detected by officers.
Authorities indicated that the suspect ignored orders to stop and continued fleeing until joining an interstate highway, about 16 kilometers to the east.
The chase involved multiple agencies, including Longmont police, who deployed tire deflation devices at at least three points along the road.
Finally, the vehicle lost control after its tires went out. Johnson abandoned the truck and fled on foot, but was arrested minutes later. by Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies and local officials.
Property damage and multiple charges
The incident left significant damage to the fire truck — identified as unit 143 of the Boulder Fire and Rescue Department — as well as several Boulder County Sheriff’s Office vehicles. One officer suffered minor injuries during the foot chase.
Johnson was not injured and now faces nine new chargesincluding aggravated vehicle theft, evasion, reckless driving, resisting arrest and damage to municipal property, in addition to driving with a revoked license.
The authorities continue to evaluate the damage to the truck, which is part of the city’s electric fleet, while the judicial process against the suspect, who has an extensive criminal record, progresses.
Keep reading:
–He murdered and dismembered his partner in Colorado: he hid the body under the bed and tried to fake a suicide
–Man in Colorado is accused of murdering his ex-partner and hiding the body in a shopping cart
–Denver man charged with murder of two-year-old boy: he had a long history of child abuse
