'They told me to move it': Boulder man steals fire truck during call

Firefighters in Boulder sprinted down a street and rescued their own fire truck early Sunday morning.

The firefighters were on a medical call at 1 in the morning near the Fox Theater on University Hill. The group saw their truck, Engine 2502, down the block and gave chase. 

The group caught up to the truck at the Broadway and Pennsylvania Avenue stoplight, opened its door, activated the emergency brake, and pulled 28-year-old Kirill Kiefel from the driver's seat.

When police arrived, Kiefel told officers he was simply following firefighters' instructions.

"They told me to move it," he said, according to the arrest affidavit in the case.

Firefighters disputed that version of events, and Kiefel was booked on a felony auto theft charge. 

Kiefel also had an active felony warrant for his arrest following a parole violation. 

"It should be noted that the behavior of Kirill Ander Kiefel has continued to escalate," Boulder PD Officer Tyler Valdez wrote in the affidavit. "He has not been formally charged for every call we have received about him, but he has increasingly become a higher risk to public safety."

Boulder Fire-Rescue received Engine 2502 less than two months ago, as reported by the Boulder Daily Camera. The truck is valued at $750,000.

Kiefel is scheduled for a court hearing Wednesday.