Wild crime spree ends with vehicle ramming police cars
Even Colorado Springs police were shocked by the boldness of a man who rammed into police cruisers to try to get away Wednesday after a carjacking and attempted bank robbery.
The crime spree started about 3:25 p.m. when a Colorado State Patrol officer tried to pull over the driver of a stolen black Subaru near Platte Avenue and Powers Boulevard.
A pursuit ensued with the man “driving through fields” until he wrecked, police said.
The suspect, identified by police as Ivan Commodore Stamps, 46, then ran toward a nearby Loaf ‘N Jug and tried to carjack a vehicle. But the quick-thinking driver put the vehicle in reverse and drove away.
The next motorist wasn’t so lucky. Police said Stamps pulled a weapon and stole a white Nissan Xterra from a female driver.
From there, he drove to TCF Bank, 2870 New Center Point, and tried to rob it about 3:45 p.m. But he didn’t get any money, “thanks to the quick thinking actions” of bank employees, said police, who didn’t provide details.
The bank is about two miles from the Stetson Hills Police Substation, and police said there were several officers in the area of Carefree Circle and Bloomington Street that blocked him in with their vehicles.
“Our officers tried to pin his vehicle in, and he rammed our cars,” police Sgt. Jennifer Lewis said. “Two officers were taken to the hospital, but they’re doing fine.”
Detectives are investigating whether Stamps is responsible for other crimes in the area, including two weekend robberies.
“I think we’re just as shocked as anybody else. We figured he would’ve left the area (after the carjacking), but I guess he had other intentions,” Lewis said.
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Contact Daniel Chacón: 476-1623
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