Police Arrest Man After Evacuation Of Building Downtown
DENVER (CBS4) - Police in Denver arrested a man on Monday morning after he ran from officers into an office building.
Police said they had been looking for an armed and dangerous suspect who was wanted on outstanding warrants, and they assumed the man who ran from them at about 9 a.m. was that man. They said at midday that turned out not to be the case.
The 16th Street Mall shuttles were stopped during the initial part of the police search, and the Petroleum Building where the manhunt was taking place was evacuated for most of the morning.
Heavily armed police officers and SWAT officers searched floor-by-floor for the suspect.
"We're taking every necessary precaution," Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said while the building was still evacuated. "It looks like a pretty big building so there are a lot of places he could hide.
Police arrested Joseph Smith. According to records, Smith has been arrested 12 times in the past three years for a wide range of crimes from drugs to theft.
Although they say he isn't the one who ran from them, they are still looking for Robert Jackson, 28, who has an outstanding warrant for escape and one for robbery. He also may be responsible for a domestic incident in Aurora that happened overnight.
Police released a previous mug shot of Jackson from Aurora:
Tony, a businessman from Seattle, told CBS4 was in the Petroleum Building Monday morning when he was told he needed to leave.
"We just had to evacuate the building. It sounds like they think there are some people in the building who are armed," he said.
