A suspicious vehicle sitting in a Westminster store parking lot near 88th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard turned into a foot chase on Tuesday after police say the driver nearly struck an officer while trying to flee. The vehicle was wanted by multiple agencies in connection with various criminal activities, and the driver ended up abandoning it near West 83rd Avenue and Ames Street before trying to run.
Officers Flagged the Car Before the Driver Took Off
According to a Westminster PD Facebook post, officers were first alerted to the suspicious vehicle sitting in the store parking lot and located it near 88th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. When officers attempted to contact the driver, he fled in the vehicle instead of stopping, the department said. During that attempt to get away, the driver nearly struck a Westminster police officer with his vehicle, per the same post.
The chase didn't end there. The driver eventually abandoned the vehicle near West 83rd Avenue and Ames Street and attempted to hide, running on foot in what police described as an effort to evade capture. A Westminster PD team caught up with the suspect shortly after, bringing the pursuit to an end.
New Charges Stack on Top of Outstanding Warrants
The suspect was taken into custody on outstanding charges along with several new ones stemming from Tuesday's incident. Those new charges include assault on a peace officer and eluding, Westminster PD said. As with all suspects, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Not the First Close Call for Westminster Officers
This is not the first time a Westminster traffic stop has turned dangerous. In a separate incident in December 2025, the previous year, an officer was dragged by a car while trying to contact the driver of a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot near 88th Avenue and Pierce Street, according to Denver7. That officer suffered only minor injuries, and Westminster police said at the time that the officer, who was dragged a short distance, was okay. The vehicle in that case was later stopped on 92nd Avenue, where two suspects with multiple outstanding warrants were taken into custody, Denver7 reported.
Colorado's vehicular-eluding statute addresses situations in which a driver knowingly eludes or attempts to elude a peace officer who is also operating a motor vehicle, according to a legislative excerpt from the Colorado General Assembly. How that law applies to Tuesday's case has not been detailed by Westminster police beyond the charge itself.
