Man steals $1.7 million electric fire engine minutes after being released from Colorado jail
Apr 29, 2026, 4:09 PM
I’ve never been to jail, so I am probably not the best guy to give advice for what to do when you get released, but I think it’s safe to say robbing a firetruck is not a great option…
A 33-year-old man who was released from the Boulder County Jail on a trespassing charge early Wednesday stole a fire engine parked outside the facility minutes later and led law enforcement on a 17-mile pursuit into Longmont before being arrested, police said.
Richmond Takashi Johnson was taken into custody after the stolen engine — one of only two electric fire engines operated by Boulder Fire-Rescue and valued at an estimated $1.7 million — was stopped near Main Street and First Avenue in Longmont, according to the Boulder Police Department and an arrest affidavit obtained by the Boulder Daily Camera.
No serious injuries were reported, though a Boulder County Sheriff’s deputy sustained a minor injury during a foot pursuit of the suspect, police said. The engine and three sheriff’s office vehicles sustained significant damage, with at least $25,000 in damage to the fire engine alone, according to the affidavit.
The chain of events began Tuesday night. At 11:32 p.m., Boulder Police responded to the 4500 block of 19th Street for a report of a man trying to open car doors and home doors in the area. Officers detained Johnson at about midnight and booked him into the Boulder County Jail on a charge of third-degree trespassing.
Johnson told police he had been in the neighborhood “spreading the word of God” and was “compelled” to speak with people, according to the arrest affidavit.
Per Colorado statute, Johnson was released from the jail just after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Nine minutes later, at approximately 3:39 a.m., Boulder Fire-Rescue responded to the jail — located at 3200 Airport Road in east Boulder — for an unrelated medical call. While firefighters were inside the booking lobby treating a patient, Johnson got into Engine 143 and drove away, police said.
Johnson was arrested on two counts of felony motor vehicle theft, felony vehicular eluding, resisting arrest, reckless driving, felony criminal mischief for damage to city property, reckless endangerment and driving after revocation, according to the city of Boulder.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Kate Euler at EulerK@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3393, referencing case 26-03696.
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