A State Patrol trooper and northern Colorado police officer spotted and chased a stolen vehicle driven by a man considered armed and dangerous after a killing and an armed bank robbery in Illinois, leading to a crash, a shooting and the death of the suspect Sunday afternoon in rural Weld County.
“Nobody is injured. It may have been only the suspect who fired shots. This is still under investigation,” Colorado State Patrol spokesman Ivan Alvarado said.
A bulletin notified law enforcement agencies of the vehicle, associated with a homicide and armed bank robbery in Illinois, authorities said. A state patrol trooper and an Ault police officer spotted the vehicle moving near Colorado 14 and Weld County Road 49 just before 2 p.m.
“The trooper pulled behind the vehicle, which accelerated and reached speeds over 100 mph,” a statement from Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said.
“Both the trooper and Ault police officer pursued the vehicle until it wrecked near the intersection of Weld County Road 92 and Colorado Highway 85. The driver of the vehicle fired gun shots outside the vehicle, ” Reams’ statement said.
The trooper and Ault officer held the scene. Dispatchers sent a SWAT team. SWAT team members approached the crashed vehicle and found the suspect dead on the ground.
Weld County deputies are investigating what happened.