Police descended Thursday on a home in Wheat Ridge thought to be the hub of a car-theft ring connected to Wednesday’s truck theft that led to a woman being shot by a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy in Englewood.
Deputy Art Peterson, 52, and the still-unnamed suspect remained in hospitals Thursday.
A “no knock” search warrant executed at about 5 p.m. in the 4600 block of Miller Street in Wheat Ridge netted three arrests and several stolen cars, according to the Jefferson County Regional Auto Theft Task Force.
No names were released Thursday evening.
A nearby Montessori School was locked down during the raid.
Authorities have released little new information on Wednesday’s incident because of an “ongoing criminal investigation,” said Det. Perry Schellpfeffer, an Englewood Police Department spokesman.
Peterson remained in serious condition at Swedish Medical Center, but was improving, said Jim Shires, a spokesman with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman driving the truck is in Denver Health Medical Center with a “serious gunshot wound,” Schellpfeffer said.
Peterson approached the pickup Wednesday afternoon near the intersection of South Santa Fe Drive and Dartmouth Avenue. The driver attempted to speed away, but the deputy grabbed on. As he was dragged Peterson fired at least one shot that hit the driver.
A passenger in the truck, a woman, was taken into custody.
The truck was reported stolen Wednesday morning and members of the task force were tracking it using a anti-theft GPS beacon.
Driving in an unmarked white Nissan Pathfinder, Peterson and his partner, a Lakewood police sergeant, tailed it to the intersection.
Peterson is a 32-year veteran who joined Jefferson County’s investigations unit in 1998. He was assigned to the auto-theft task force in July.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
