Shoppers at Westminster’s Orchard Town Center received an unexpected bit of live-action policing this week when staff reported a 43-year-old man allegedly loading a cart with merchandise and fleeing through an emergency exit at the back. Officers chased the suspect through the shopping center and quickly took him into custody, later finding drugs and other items on him and learning he had multiple outstanding warrants. Store employees praised the fast response.
According to the Westminster Police Department, officers were called just before 5 p.m. on Monday about a suspicious person at a store in the Orchard Town Center. When officers attempted to contact the man, he sprinted through the store and out through a rear emergency exit, according to the Westminster Police Department. The department says the 43-year-old already had nine active warrants, six of them felonies, and was booked on those warrants before being transferred to the county jail. Police also reported recovering drugs, drug paraphernalia, money and other items during the arrest.
What officers say and video shows
A short reel on the department’s Facebook page shows the suspect sprinting past store displays as officers pursue him through the aisles, a clip Westminster police used to document the incident and their response, per Facebook. The department’s post says the suspect was taken to the Adams County Jail after the arrest; the Adams County Sheriff’s Office operates the jail and maintains custody records.
Warrants and new charges
In its write-up of the case, the Westminster Police Department says the man had nine active warrants, including six felony warrants, and that officers charged him with possession of drugs while booking him into custody, per the Westminster Police Department. The department also posted photos of drugs, paraphernalia and money recovered during the arrest. “All in all … not a great day for this guy, but we’ll call that a win for our local businesses!” the department wrote.
Retail theft context for Westminster
The arrest comes as retailers and law enforcement across the Denver metro area continue pushing back on organized retail theft and fencing operations; CBS Colorado reported on a multi-agency probe late last year that recovered hundreds of stolen items and led to several arrests. Local agencies say tracking stolen goods to fences and pawnshops has become a key investigative tactic in those cases…