WESTMINSTER, Colo. — A suspect has been arrested after he was spotted waiting for a bus outside the automotive shop he is accused of breaking into five days earlier.
According to the Westminster Police Department (WPD), officers received a call at 7:45 a.m. from a Grease Monkey that was broken into on Monday. Employees told authorities that someone waiting at the bus stop matched the description of the suspect that broke into their business.
Grease Monkey provided surveillance footage of the suspect (pictured below), who Westminster PD later confirmed to be 32-year-old Shawn Baumgardner.
As police officers arrived in the area, the suspect started to walk away, according to WPD. Officers spotted him again in the area of Wolff Run Park at 76th Avenue and Wolff Street, and the suspect began to run, a spokesperson for WPD said.
Authorities attempted to stop the suspect with a taser but were unsuccessful. The suspect was able to get away following a struggle, Westminster PD said, and the suspect got into the driver's seat of the patrol car. An officer sustained minor injuries during this incident and was transported to a local hospital.
WPD said the patrol car that was stolen was a black and white SUV with lights and siren and equipped with a shotgun, which the suspect did not access during the incident.
Westminster Police spokesperson Sergeant Trevor Materasso said they were able to track the vehicle down with GPS to Heather Place near Zuni Street and US 36.
One officer discharged their handgun and another officer pinned the stolen car at the end of the cul-de-sac at some point during the incident, WPD said.
The suspect was not injured and was later taken into custody, police said.
Baumgardner is being held at the Adams County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated robbery knowingly wounds or strikes
- First-degree assault on a peace officer
- Impersonating a peace officer
- First-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender
- Vehicular eluding
- Obstructing a peace officer
- Resisting arrest
- Second-degree burglary
Materasso said these situations are unusual.
"It's absolutely unusual for us," Materasso said. "This happened very quick — about two minutes transpired where the officer trie[d] to get the suspect into custody over Wolff Run Park ... he [was] able to steal a patrol car. It's not very often that you'll see this kind of thing occur."
The 17th Judicial District Adams County Critical Incident Investigation Team is handling the officer involved shooting investigation. Detectives from the Westminster Police Department are handling the burglary investigation.
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