Suspect accused of burglarizing Colorado sheriff’s office, stealing patrol car

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - A man is facing a laundry list of charges after an alleged joyride in a stolen patrol cruiser that ended in a chase early Monday morning.

The episode started in Park County when deputies discovered the Lake George substation for the sheriff’s office had been ransacked and a marked vehicle stolen.

Not long after that, the vehicle reappeared -- at a call for service that had been broadcast over law enforcement radios.

“At 3:27 a.m., the suspect in the stolen patrol vehicle went to a call that had been broadcast over the police radio system in Teller County. Teller County deputies arrived on the scene at 3:37 a.m. and observed the Park County patrol vehicle coming down the driveway towards them,” the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said.

At one point, the suspect reportedly said, “where’s the old man that’s going to shoot someone,” according to arrest papers.

Deputies ordered the driver to stop, but he allegedly ignored them and sped away reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, according to an affidavit.

Two hours later, the stolen patrol car was seen driving on Highway 24 in the Divide area.

“A pursuit ensued involving both Teller and Park County deputies. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle reached speeds over 110 mph and committed numerous traffic violations,” the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect eventually crashed on a rural road and tried making a run for it into the woods.

“Teller and Park County deputies were able to locate the suspect who was armed with a knife and was non-compliant. During the confrontation a Taser was deployed and at least one shot was fired by a law enforcement officer,” the sheriff’s office said.

It’s unclear if the suspect was hit when the gun was fired; the only injuries to the suspect reported by law enforcement were self-inflicted knife wounds. He was taken to the hospital for treatment before being booked into the Teller County jail.

Identified as Jeremiah Taylor, 33, the suspect faces the following charges: aggravated motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, impersonating a peace officer, obstruction, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, second-degree burglary and reckless driving. He is also being investigated for potential involvement in a slew of other crimes that happened shortly before Monday’s incident.

Prior to his alleged misadventures, the suspect was already on probation for menacing, theft and DUI. Taylor has a $10,000 cash bond and will be in court July 5th.

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