Boulder Police Department
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Less than 45 minutes after being released from jail, a Boulder man was back in custody after he allegedly stole a fire engine from the jail parking lot.
Richmond Takashi Johnson, 33, is accused of swiping Boulder Fire-Rescue Engine 143 immediately after he left the Boulder County Jail on Wednesday, April 29, according to the local police department.
Police say Johnson was initially arrested at around 11:30 p.m. April 28 in connection to reports of a man trying to open the doors of cars and homes near 19th Street and Violet Avenue in Boulder. He was booked and released on a charge of third-degree trespassing just after 3:30 a.m. this morning.
But as Johnson left the jail, Boulder Fire-Rescue arrived at the scene at 3:39 a.m. for an unrelated medical call. While the firefighters were inside the jail treating the patient, Johnson allegedly hopped inside the fire engine and drove off.
Johnson reportedly drove the vehicle down Highway 287 into Longmont, leading officers on a chase for around seventeen miles. He eventually lost control of the fire engine after officers deployed three rounds of stop sticks, deflating the tires, police say. Johnston allegedly jumped out of the vehicle and ran away, but was caught minutes later in downtown Longmont near Main Street and 1st Avenue.
Johnson was back in custody by 4:14 a.m. He is currently booked in the Boulder County Jail on charges of felony motor vehicle theft, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, reckless driving, felony criminal mischief, felony vehicular eluding, reckless endangerment and driving after revocation.
The pursuit resulted in extensive damage to the fire engine and two Boulder County Sheriff’s Office vehicles, according to police. A sheriff’s deputy reportedly sustained a minor injury during the foot chase. Johnson was not injured.
Johnson has a lengthy criminal history. He has been arrested more than a dozen times since 2015 — including on charges of assault, flight, vehicular assault, vehicular eluding, reckless driving and trespassing — across Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fremont County and Lincoln County, according to records from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
He is due to appear in Boulder County Court at 1:30 p.m. today, April 29.
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Detective K. Euler at EulerK@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3393 regarding case 26-03696.
