Sheriff Fred Wegener was traveling northbound toward Bailey on US Highway 285 when he attempted to make a routine traffic stop near Webster at 2:16 p.m. on Monday. The subject vehicle was a green Ford Escort wagon and appeared to be occupied by one white male. The driver did not stop.

Four miles north of the first attempted contact, a second department vehicle driven by Deputy Sonnenberg joined the Sheriff and pursuit ensued. The subject accelerated his car to approximately 60 mph and the driver began making bad passes and straddling the center line of the highway, according to Wegener. Near the Shawnee Community Center, Deputy Wood deployed a Stop Stick device to disable the vehicle. As all four tires shredded and peeled from the rims, the driver was unable to fully control the car. "He swerved and appeared to overcorrect, then veered off the road and down the bank of the river," the Sheriff said. The car came to rest on the ice-covered South Platte at the south edge of Glen Isle.

The driver, later identified as 35-year-old Johnny Reed, appeared to be ill, so officers called for medical assistance. In the process of identifying the driver, the Sheriff was informed of an outstanding federal warrant for Reed's arrest. An emergency medical helicopter was requested to fly Reed to a hospital. When the helicopter arrived, it was determined that an officer would have to accompany Reed on the flight. The Sheriff joined the flight to the hospital where Reed was treated and taken into custody by federal marshals.

Reed is charged in Park County with felony possession of a schedule 1 drug, misdemeanor vehicle eluding, and misdemeanor reckless driving.

Further updates developing.

Park County Update: February 14, 2007

According to Sheriff Wegener, Reed's tattoos helped to identify him after no identification was found on his person when he was taken into custody following Monday's pursuit. He had a tattoo on each arm, one reading "XV" and the other "XVI", presumed to be Roman numerals for "15" and "16". Additionally, Reed had a tattoo on his chest of a cross with the words "White Pride" tattooed near it, Wegener said.

The federal warrant referred to in Monday's story involved a parole violation unrelated to either case reported here.

Aurora Update: February 14, 2007

The Ford Escort driven by John "Johnny" Reed in Monday's pursuit in Park County has ties to a deceased woman found Monday evening in an apartment on S. Pitkin Street in Aurora. This information was contained in a news release issued by the Aurora Police Department on Tuesday, February 13th. According to Aurora Police Public Information Officer, Detective Robert Friel, police responded to the woman's apartment after family members found the woman unresponsive.

After a preliminary investigation by officers at the scene, assistance was requested from the Major Crime/Homicide Unit detectives. The news release goes on to state, "Based on evidence found at the scene and the preliminary findings from the autopsy conducted this morning, this case has been ruled a homicide by the Arapahoe County Coroner."

During the course of the investigation, Aurora police learned that a car connected to the victim was the one involved in Monday's pursuit in Park County (story above). The pursuit and arrest of Reed in Park County occurred prior to the discovery of the body.

The identity of the homicide victim, who is a resident of Aurora, was not released at the time of the Aurora news release.