A Denver sheriff’s deputy was injured Thursday afternoon when a car-stereo thief ran over him in a parking lot near the downtown police administration building and jail.
Deputy Andrew Cross, an eight-year veteran of the department, had his ankle broken in the incident, said Capt. Frank Gale, a sheriff’s spokesman.
At about 5:10 p.m., Cross left work at the courthouse and was going to his truck parked in a lot in the 1200 block of Cherokee Street when he came upon a man who had broken into it.
The stereo thief jumped into a gray or silver Volkswagen Jetta parked right next to the truck and slammed it into reverse to flee.
Cross, who was in uniform, tried to jump out of the way, but the driver ran over his ankle.
“This individual knew he was an officer and understood the situation,” Gale said. “He committed a felony assault on an officer.”
Police investigators believe there may have been an accomplice, a woman, in the Jetta, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.
Cross was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Police are looking for the assailants.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
