A Longmont man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing a car at gunpoint, leading officers on a car chase through a park and accidentally shooting himself in the leg.
According to a release from Longmont police, officers were dispatched around 11 a.m. to the Walgreens at 11th and Main Street for a man who attempted to carjack a vehicle from the owner at gunpoint. The robbery was unsuccessful and the suspect fled the area before officers arrived, police said.
About 15 minutes later, a second carjacking took place in the 1000 block of Yeager Drive, officials said. The suspect allegedly took the vehicle at gunpoint from two men and left the area speeding.
A Longmont school resource officer located the vehicle about eight minutes later near 17th Avenue and Hover Street. The officer followed the car in an unmarked police vehicle and coordinated with officers as they responded to the area, police said.
When officers activated their emergency equipment, the suspect eluded police.
Near 17th Avenue and Alpine Street, an officer tried to deploy stop sticks to deflate the vehicle’s tires. While the suspect avoided the stop sticks, he struck a light pole, police said.
The suspect continued to elude and entered a park near Americana Road and Sanctuary Lane. He crashed into a park bench and trash receptacle before coming to a rest, according to police.
Officials added that they believe when the airbags deployed, a gun the suspect was holding discharged inside the vehicle and he shot himself in the leg.
Officers applied two tourniquets to control the bleeding, according to police. The suspect was transported by ambulance to an area hospital and is expected to survive.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man from Longmont, is facing multiple felony charges, police added.
