ASPEN, Colo.—A sheriff’s detective has been suspended for a week without pay and placed on probation for firing a rifle into the tire of a pickup driven by a suspected car thief.
Detective Brad Gibson broke Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department rules because the suspect’s alleged crimes weren’t serious enough to warrant shooting at him, Sheriff Bob Braudis said Monday.
“We do not shoot fleeing felons unless it’s the serial-murder kind,” Braudis said.
Gibson, a six-year veteran of the department, fired at a stolen ’97 Dodge Ram that had led officers on a chase at speeds up to 70 mph, court records said. The damaged tire contributed to the pickup’s subsequent crash, authorities said.
Phillip Jordon Vigil, 27, of Denver, was arrested four hours later on suspicion of aggravated motor vehicle theft, eluding, driving with a revoked license, possession of a handgun by a previous offender and driving under the influence.
Police said Vigil stole four vehicles in the course of a five-hour chase. Braudis said Gibson did not know Vigil was armed at the time he fired.
Gibson did not have a listed phone number, and the Aspen Times reported he could not be reached for comment. Braudis said Gibson acknowledged he had broken department policy.
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Information from: The Aspen Times,
