Executive Summary
- Larimer County deputies initiated a pursuit after a vehicle refused to stop near Harmony Road.
- A shot was fired at a deputy’s vehicle during the chase, though no injuries were reported.
- Drones helped locate six suspects who fled on foot; all were subsequently taken into custody.
Six individuals were taken into custody early Saturday in Northern Colorado following a vehicle pursuit that evolved into a drone-assisted manhunt after a shot was fired at a sheriff’s deputy. The incident spanned two counties and required a coordinated response from multiple law enforcement agencies to secure the suspects without further violence.
According to a press release from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the sequence of events began around 3:30 a.m. when deputies attempted a traffic stop near the intersection of Harmony Road and Ziegler Road. Authorities report that the driver refused to yield, initiating a pursuit that extended east into Weld County. During the course of the chase, the situation escalated when a shot was fired from the fleeing vehicle.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the projectile struck the pursuing deputy’s vehicle, but no injuries were reported among law enforcement personnel. The suspect vehicle eventually came to a halt on Carpenter Road, west of Interstate 25, at which point the occupants abandoned the car and fled the scene on foot. The Fort Collins Police Department issued an advisory at 4:30 a.m. urging the public to avoid the area while responders managed the active scene.
To locate the fleeing individuals safely, law enforcement officials deployed drones to scan the area. The aerial surveillance successfully identified the location of all six passengers who had been inside the vehicle, allowing officers to take them into custody. By 5:20 a.m., local authorities confirmed that the scene had been cleared and all roadways were reopened to traffic.
Investigative Outlook
The rapid apprehension of multiple suspects highlights the increasing reliance on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to mitigate risk during volatile manhunts involving armed subjects. As investigators process the scene and the recovered vehicle, the inquiry will likely focus on ballistics analysis to identify the specific individual responsible for discharging the weapon at law enforcement, potentially leading to attempted murder charges in addition to eluding counts. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
