Thornton police used a precision immobilization technique to spin out a fleeing car and arrest 39-year-old Ismael Barajas Aguilar on Wednesday, capping a brief but tense pursuit tied to an alleged apartment shooting that injured a woman last week.
Investigators say the arrest stems from a reported shooting inside an apartment near the 9700 block of Pearl Street last Thursday that sent an adult woman to the hospital. Detectives later spotted the suspect in a vehicle, and when they tried to pull him over, he allegedly took off instead of yielding. The short chase ended with a PIT maneuver and a trip to jail; Aguilar was booked into the Adams County Jail and remains in custody.
According to a news release from the Thornton Police Department, officers located the suspect near West 84th Avenue and Huron Street and moved in for a traffic stop as he approached Gale Boulevard. Police say the driver refused to pull over, triggering a pursuit that continued onto the southbound I-25 on-ramp at Thornton Parkway, where officers executed a PIT. The vehicle spun out, the driver tried to run, and officers quickly caught him on foot.
How the PIT Stopped the Pursuit
The precision immobilization technique, commonly called a PIT, is a deliberate maneuver in which an officer's vehicle makes controlled contact with a fleeing car to spin it and force it to a stop. Agencies typically reserve PIT for lower speeds and require officers to be specifically trained, with radio coordination and supervisor approval in many departments. The Spokane Police Department notes that officers use the technique only when they determine it is safer than allowing a pursuit to continue.
Local Context
PIT maneuvers are not new to the area. Earlier this month, a separate Thornton vehicle chase also ended when officers used a PIT to stop a fleeing suspect, according to Hoodline. Coverage of a home invasion ending in a PIT bust shows the department has leaned on the maneuver in recent high-risk incidents.
Charges and What Comes Next
Thornton police say Barajas Aguilar is being held on multiple counts, including criminal attempt - second-degree murder, vehicular eluding (a level 4 felony), second-degree assault - reckless, resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, and domestic violence. The department's release stresses that the arrest and filing of charges are formal accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and investigators are still gathering evidence in the case. No bond amount or court date was included in the release.
Public safety teams temporarily shut down eastbound Thornton Parkway while officers worked the scene. The road reopened after the area was cleared. The investigation remains active, and Thornton police say they will share more information as charges move through the courts.
