BOULDER, CO — In a bizarre turn of events that feels more like a movie script than a police blotter, a 33-year-old man was back in handcuffs early Wednesday morning—just minutes after being released from the Boulder County Jail.
The suspect, identified by the Boulder Police Department (BPD) as Richmond Takashi Johnson, allegedly marked his freedom by stealing a high-tech fire engine parked right outside the facility, sparking a multi-agency high-speed pursuit that ended in a foot chase near Denver.
The Timeline: From Trespassing to Grand Theft
The incident began late Tuesday night when officers responded to reports of a man attempting to open doors of cars and homes in a local residential neighborhood. Johnson was arrested at approximately midnight and booked on third-degree trespassing charges.
However, due to Colorado statutes, Johnson was released from custody just a few hours later, at roughly 3:30 a.m. As he walked out of the jail’s booking lobby, he crossed paths with fate—and an idling fire truck.
Boulder Fire-Rescue crews had arrived at the jail on an unrelated medical call. While the firefighters were inside treating a patient, police say Johnson hopped into Engine 143 and sped off into the night.
A Multi-Agency Pursuit on I-25
The theft immediately triggered a massive response. Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the stolen engine just a mile away, but Johnson allegedly refused to yield, leading police on a chase that stretched 10 miles east toward a major interstate.
As the chase intensified, officers from the nearby suburb of Longmont were called in to assist. Police successfully deployed “stop sticks” (tire-deflation devices) at three separate locations along the highway. The pursuit finally came to a halt when Johnson lost control of the heavy vehicle due to the deflated tires.
In a final act of desperation, police say Johnson jumped out of the moving engine and fled on foot. After a brief chase, he was tackled and arrested by deputies and Longmont officers.
High-Tech Loss: The RTX Electric Engine
The vehicle at the center of the chaos wasn’t just any fire truck; it was one of Boulder’s RTX electric fire engines, a state-of-the-art piece of equipment worth over $1 million.
The BPD reported that Engine 143 sustained “significant damage” and is currently being assessed by the city’s fleet division. Additionally, two Boulder County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were heavily damaged during the pursuit, and another unit sustained minor damage.
New Charges and Community Impact
While no community members were seriously hurt, one sheriff’s deputy sustained a minor injury during the foot pursuit. Johnson, who authorities noted has an “extensive criminal history,” now faces a litany of nine new charges, including:
- Two counts of felony motor vehicle theft
- Felony vehicular eluding
- Felony criminal mischief (damage to city property)
- Obstructing emergency medical service providers
- Reckless endangerment and resisting arrest
What do you think, Boulder? Should there be stricter rules about releasing individuals with “extensive histories” in the middle of the night? Or was this just a “wrong place, wrong time” fluke for the fire department?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
