Deputies in Colorado called off a pursuit of a fleeing driver after deciding the traffic on Interstate 25 made continuing too dangerous. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says a police drone soon picked up where deputies left off.
The incident began on September 26 after the Sheriff’s Office Regional Communications Center received a call about a possible kidnapping and domestic violence situation inside a white sedan traveling southbound on I-25 near County Line Road. Deputies and officers from the Monument Police Department located the suspected vehicle, but the driver fled at high speed when deputies attempted a traffic stop.
Deputies initially pursued the sedan but terminated the chase because of the heavy traffic in the area. That apparently didn’t slow the vehicle down, as dispatchers soon received multiple calls about the same sedan traveling along the shoulder and grass while nearly striking other vehicles.
Rather than immediately putting deputies back into the chase, assistance came from above. The sheriff’s office says the Colorado Springs Police Department launched a Drone as a First Responder, which located the sedan as it exited I-25 onto Briargate Parkway.
Police Drone Leads Deputies Back to Driver
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Deputies caught up with the vehicle near the traffic circle at Briargate Parkway and Wolf Center Drive, where things took another unusual turn. The sheriff’s office says the sedan accelerated onto a traffic island before backing off and stopping in the driving portion of the traffic circle.
Deputies ordered the driver, identified as 31-year-old Bryan Garcia, out of the vehicle at gunpoint. Garcia was taken into custody without further incident, while the person initially identified as the possible victim was evaluated by medical personnel and found to be uninjured.
Sheriff Joseph Roybal credited the sheriff’s office, Monument Police Department, Colorado Springs Police Department, dispatchers and deputies for coordinating the response. He said their work helped bring the incident to a safe conclusion despite the dangerous driving deputies said occurred along I-25.
Initial Domestic Violence Report Is Determined Unfounded
Garcia was booked into the El Paso County Jail on charges of driving under restraint, driving under the influence, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, reckless endangerment, and vehicular eluding. The sheriff’s office said he was later released on a $2,000 bond, which it noted was determined by state statute.
Notably, Garcia was not charged with kidnapping or domestic violence based on the information released by the sheriff’s office. Investigators ultimately determined the initial report of domestic violence was unfounded, and the department did not announce a kidnapping charge.
The case instead left Garcia facing charges connected to what deputies say happened on the road after they attempted to stop the sedan. Although deputies ended their own pursuit amid heavy traffic, the police drone kept the vehicle in sight long enough for law enforcement to find Garcia again, this time at a traffic circle and with nowhere left to drive.