DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Dramatic video shared by the 23rd Judicial District and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shows a high-speed chase involving a motorcycle.
Both offices say reckless driving, as seen in the video, will not be tolerated in the county.
This pursuit occurred in May and began when a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy spotted a motorcycle going 67 in a 45 mph zone on University Avenue. James Albee of Metro Intelligence says following a motorcycle at high speeds can be dangerous for everyone involved, and he was glad no one was hurt here.
In dashcam footage from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, you can first see the motorcycle fly past the deputy in the oncoming lane.
“They have complete disregard for their own safety and the safety of the general public,” Albee said.
The deputy turns around, and the chase begins. Allbee says chases like this all come about as a result of spur-of-the-moment decisions by law enforcement.
“Just because the chase starts within some sort of common sense guidelines to use and use good judgment, that situation will change quickly from the intersection, second to second, depending on the route they’re taking,” Albee said.
The motorcycle is shown weaving through traffic at high speeds. Allbee says it becomes difficult for someone in a regular vehicle to keep up.
“These motorcycles have incredible torque at the front end and you can’t keep up with it. No vehicle is going to be able to keep up with that kind of acceleration,” Albee said.
In a motorcycle chase, unlike a car chase, technology such as stop sticks cannot be used safely.
“The individual will end up being injured, perhaps unnecessarily, when there are other methods that could be used,” Albee said.
Eventually, the suspect is stopped when an unmarked Sheriff’s Office vehicle manages to cut them off at an intersection. No one was hurt in a situation Albee says could easily have gone differently.
“I think overall the way this all happened was executed perfectly by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office,” Albee said.
Their bike was confiscated and will be auctioned off, with some of the proceeds benefiting the Department of Human Services and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
It was also found that the suspect, 41-year-old Brandon Watts, was driving without registration or insurance. He pleaded guilty to felony eluding and obstruction of justice.