What started as a quiet graveyard shift on East Colfax ended with three teenagers in handcuffs and a sedan spun out in a parking lot early Sunday, according to Aurora police.
Officers say three teens threatened and robbed a worker at a business on the 14000 block of East Colfax Avenue. The employee called 911 just after 3:20 a.m., reporting a robbery in progress. Police quickly zeroed in on a sedan they believed was tied to the incident and followed it until they used a precision immobilization technique in an empty parking lot along East Mississippi Avenue, where three people were detained.
911 Call From East Colfax Store Ends in PIT Maneuver
The Aurora Police Department said an employee reported two males inside the store attempting to steal items. According to the department, one suspect allegedly threatened to shoot the worker if she kept talking to police during the call.
Officers then began pursuing a sedan seen leaving the area. As described by the Aurora Police Department on X, officers "terminated the pursuit using a PIT maneuver" in an empty parking lot on East Mississippi Avenue, where three suspects were taken into custody without further incident. Police said all three are teenagers and Aurora residents.
How Aurora Police Are Trained to End Pursuits
Aurora’s pursuit policy allows specially trained officers to use deliberate contact tactics with a vehicle, including the Precision Immobilization Technique, when a supervisor decides that immediately catching suspects is worth the risk to the public.
The policy sets specific speed limits, requires supervisory approval, and mandates reviews after pursuits to try to reduce the danger to officers and bystanders. Those rules are designed to push officers toward controlled endpoints, such as low-traffic parking lots, according to the department’s directive manual, Aurora Police Department.
Handgun Recovered and Possible Charges
Police say one juvenile was found carrying a handgun that had been reported lost in Arapahoe County. Each of the three detained teens was arrested on suspicion of being involved in both the theft attempt and the threat against the worker.
The department listed a slate of potential charges, including aggravated robbery, vehicular eluding, obstruction, and possession of a handgun by a juvenile. Police reiterated that all of the arrestees are local to Aurora.
East Colfax Tension and Ongoing Crime Crackdown
For business owners along East Colfax, this kind of overnight incident fits into a longer-running frustration. Merchants have complained for years that theft and empty storefronts are squeezing small businesses and scaring off customers.
City leaders are trying to steer more resources into the corridor. Axios recently reported that Aurora is creating a downtown development authority, while shopkeepers push for more help on safety and blight.
On the policing side, the Aurora Police Department has been reshuffling specialized response teams and putting extra emphasis on pursuit training as part of a larger effort to tackle violent and property crime, according to Denver7.
