Two Suspects in Custody Following Vehicle and Foot Pursuit in Larimer County

Two suspects are now in custody following both a vehicle and foot pursuit that led Larimer County Sheriff deputies from Fort Collins to Wellington Monday morning.

The incident began to unfold around 1 a.m. on April 10, when officers noticed a vehicle with fictitious license plates pulling out of a hotel parking lot on East Mulberry Street. Deputies attempted to stop the male driver near East Prospect Road and I-25, but he refused to pull over, and instead took off northbound on the highway, reaching speeds up to 104 miles per hour. A female passenger was also in the vehicle at the time of the pursuit. Police were able to deploy spike strips at East County Road 58, which flattened the passenger side tires of the wanted vehicle, however, the suspect continued to flee northbound on I-25. Deputies then used the Precision Immobilization Technique to spin the vehicle into the median, at which point the suspect rammed the driver's door of the deputy’s patrol car, then drove across the southbound lanes of I-25, and eventually came to a stop on the southbound Frontage Road near Jefferson Avenue in Wellington. The female passenger, Melanie Wind, was apprehended by police and booked into the Larimer County Jail on allegations of Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance,
Possession of Illegal Weapon, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The male driver took off on foot before authorities were able to detain him and although a perimeter was set up, the search was called off around 5 a.m.

Around 9:50 a.m., a citizen reported a suspicious male in the area of Cleveland and 6th Street in Wellington, near Burger King. Deputies recognized the male as the suspect from the high-speed chase and approached him, attempting to deploy a taser in the process, as he walked westbound. The taser was ineffective and the suspect continued to run west to the railroad tracks, also displaying a knife as law enforcement neared. Deputies were eventually successful in tasering the suspect in the 8500 block of Secretariat Drive and he was taken into custody without further incident. The male suspect has been identified as Benjamin Weir and was booked into the Larimer County Jail on allegations of Attempted 2nd Degree Assault on Peace Officer, Felony Menacing, Vehicular Eluding, Criminal Mischief, 3rd Degree Assault, Resisting Arrest, Obstructing Peace Officer x 2 Counts, Fail to Remain at the Scene of an Accident, Displayed Fictitious Number Plates and Reckless Endangerment.