Update 5:30pm: the Sheriff Office stated that “No one from any agency discharged their service weapons during this incident.”
From the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
Update: 4:47 pm This afternoon, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 25-year-old Justin Souther in connection with a vehicle pursuit that occurred this morning near 29 ¼ Road and D Road.
Souther is facing the following charges:
- Vehicular Eluding (F5)
- 2nd Degree Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft $20,000 or more (F5)
- Reckless Driving
- Obstruction of a Peace Officer
Souther is currently being held in the Mesa County Detention Facility. Additional charges related to this incident may still be pending.
At 9:22 am this morning, July 18, 2024, a Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a possible stolen vehicle near 29 1/4 Road and D Road in Clifton. The driver eluded the deputy and ran a red light. Dispatch received serval calls reporting the suspect vehicle driving recklessly and endangering other drivers.
Law enforcement from the Grand Junction Police Department and the Colorado State Patrol responded to the area to assist in the search when the stolen Ford F250 was discovered stuck in a field west of 29 Road near D ½ Road. The suspect freed the truck from the muddy field, causing extensive property damage, and then fled toward the Regional Center, where he continued driving erratically throughout the property. The truck was later discovered parked in a field north of C 3/4 Road, and the suspect was spotted running near 28 Road and Winters Avenue.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and the Grand Junction Police Department deployed drones in the area. The Division of Youth Services and 150 individuals nearby were notified via a reverse 911 call to Shelter in Place for approximately ninety minutes.
The suspect was located hiding in a drainage ditch near 28 Road and Winters Avenue. When law enforcement approached, he appeared to be in distress and was quickly pulled from the water. He regained consciousness shortly afterward and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. The suspect is currently in the custody of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.
Identification of the suspect and further information will be released as it becomes available.
Related articles to this incident:
- Possible Officer Involved Shooting After Vehicle Pursuit
- Drowning and Head Trauma, Winters Ave & 28 Rd
Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://crimewatch.net/us/co/mesa/sheriff/134177/cases/one-arrested-after-vehicle-pursuit