New details released in Fountain pursuit where police officer fell 30 feet from bridge
New details have been released in a Friday police pursuit that ended after a police officer fell 30 to 40 feet off a bridge.
The officer fell off that bridge while he was trying to apprehend a suspect Thursday night. It happened in Fountain, south of Colorado Springs.
That officer has since been identified as Julian Becerra. He's been with Fountain PD for over four years and works in the patrol division as a K9 officer.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to a pursuit involving someone suspected of multiple felonies, according to the city of Fountain. Colorado State Patrol troopers were able to disable the suspect's car in the area of South Academy Boulevard and Hartford Street, just east of Interstate 25. There's a bridge over a creek in that area.
The suspect started running away and Fountain police say the suspect tried to jump over the bridge. Becerra tried to apprehend the suspect and in the struggle, fell about 30 feet off the bridge.
Becerra was in critical condition Friday, Fountain police spokeswoman Lisa Schneider said.
"He has been flown to a local hospital and we do have all three suspects in custody at this time," Schneider said. "There is no danger to the public."
Those suspects have been identified as Devon Bobian, Danisha Pacheco and Anthony Vallejos.
The pursuit started when Fountain PD was asked to help the Department of Corrections Parole Unit arrest a suspect from Pueblo with arrest warrants who was thought to be actively carjacking someone in Fountain, according to Fountain PD. The stolen car was tracked to Colorado Springs and then went to Fountain.
A car chase ensued on Interstate 25 and after several failed attempts to stop the car, police broke off the chase so as not to endanger the public and continued to follow the suspects from farther back, they said.
The suspects then pulled into the parking lot of a Love's gas station at 5505 Travel Plaza Drive, where police say they watched the suspects attempt yet another carjacking.
Officers continued to chase the suspects, who got back on I-25, but slowed them down by blowing out at least one of the car's tires using spike strips. Police then stopped the car using their own patrol cars and the suspects tried to flee on foot.
The driver, later identified as Bobian, 31, of Pueblo, ran to a nearby bridge and attempted to jump off.
"As the suspect was hanging over the bridge he repeatedly stated, 'let me go, I want to die,'" Fountain PD said.
That's when Becerra, who was trying to prevent Bobian from jumping off the bridge, fell.
All three suspects were arrested and are facing charges of multiple felonies, including assault with extreme indifference, armed robbery, eluding, vehicle theft and menacing. Police say more charges could be pending.
