In dramatic footage released on Wednesday, June 28, a suspect in Colorado managed to escape from the back of a police cruiser while handcuffed, subsequently stealing the vehicle.
This led law enforcement on a high-speed 21 minute chase that culminated in a fatal collision with a parked semi-truck.
The incident occurred on June 20 around 11 am.
Colorado troopers received a call for assistance from Otero County Sheriff’s deputies who were chasing a suspect on Highway 50 in Otero County. The initial report suggested shots had been fired and that the suspect was allegedly involved in several crashes and attempted head-on collisions with other vehicles.
The video shows police officers stopping the suspect, Anthony Sanchez III, by ramming the rear of his car. This action caused the vehicle to spin, allowing officers to encircle it. Upon apprehending him, officers discovered a firearm in his vehicle and placed him, handcuffed, into the backseat of a police car. However, while the police were securing the scene, Sanchez was able to bring his hands from behind his back to the front while still restrained, squirming into the front seat, and speeding away in the police vehicle.
This sparked a second chase that ended with Sanchez crashing into a parked truck. He succumbed to his injuries following the collision.
The newly released footage demonstrates when police intercepted Sanchez’s car, surrounded it, and successfully immobilized it. Sanchez quickly raised his arms and was encircled by officers after his vehicle was spun around. Although initially handcuffed with his hands secured behind his back, the in-car video revealed Sanchez maneuvering his handcuffed hands to the front, subsequently driving away as officers realized what had happened.
Colonel Matthew Packard, the Chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said that while such instances are rare, they are not unprecedented. He attributed the feat to the suspect’s physical ability and flexibility.
Following the crash, Sanchez’s cries of pain could be heard. Police quickly arrived at the scene, rushing to extricate Sanchez from the wreckage. Although he was still alive at the time, his injuries later proved fatal, leading to his death after being transported to the hospital. Fortunately, the driver of the truck was unharmed.
