Durango charity organizer hit by cannon blast

DURANGO, Colo.—Sheriff’s officials say a bicyclist who organized a charity race was injured by a small cannonball that was shot at him and investigators suspect five teenagers of the crime.

The La Plata County Sheriff’s office say they plan to interview the teenagers with their parents next week about the cannonball that was fired at the bicyclist Sunday during a multiple sclerosis fundraiser in Durango.

Authorities say the cannonball was similar to what is used at high school and college games to celebrate a touchdown. Sheriff’s officials say a gauze-like wadding soaked in an unknown chemical caused an explosion near the legs of 37-year-old Ian Altman. The explosion lodged particulate in his legs and arms and he was hospitalized with a 102.5-degree fever.

Teenaged serial bank robber taken captive in Durango

A 19-year-old Fort Lewis College student is facing charges as a serial bank robber in Durango, police said today.

Durango police and the FBI arrested Chase Bryant Gardner at his Durango home today on suspicion of four hold-ups since December, including two on April 1.

Records show Gardner’s current address is on the Fort Lewis Campus, but he previously lived on Ken Caryl Avenue in Littleton.

Gardner is being held without bond in La Plata County Jail.

Armed bank robbery in Durango

The Bank of the San Juans in Durango was robbed about 9:25 a.m. today by a man brandishing a handgun.

He was wearing a blue conductor-style hat with thin white stripes, sunglasses, a dark jacket with Marlboro written in red letters on the back, a Bronco T-shirt, dark gray jeans and dark tennis shoes.

He carried a semi-automatic handgun and placed the money in two bags – one fluorescent green and one fluorescent orange.

He fled on foot northbound through the alley east of the bank which is located at 1710 Main Avenue.

from the Denver Post.

Bomb threats against Durango courthouse and schools

DURANGO – Bomb threats against a number of public buildings in La Plata County on Wednesday morning has forced authorities to require several evacuations.

Durango Police say its dispatch received an anonymous bomb threat against the courthouse, Fort Lewis College, Miller Middle School and Durango High School just before 10 a.m.

Local law enforcement is working to conduct searches of each building, however, because no specific name was given for the courthouse, police have notified all judicial buildings in the area.

The Durango School District evacuated Miller Middle School students and Durango High School students to safe off-campus locations. Parents were able to pick up their children with proper identification.

All other schools in the district were put into a soft lockdown, meaning external doors were locked.

The campus at Fort Lewis College was evacuated as well and planned to remain closed for the day.

from 9News.

Bank robbery in Durango

A bank robber made off with an undisclosed amount of cash Monday at the First National Bank of Durango.

Police said a man in his mid-20s entered the bank and passed a note to the teller. He was nonthreatening and appeared to be unarmed, said Sgt. Ray Shupe, with the Durango Police Department.

Durango police blotter highlights #2

The reports from the Durango police blotter are great because they show how much goes on in even a small Colorado town.

In Denver, unfortunately, the Police Department recently replaced their blotter with an online “crime map” that obscures all of the details of the crimes. DPD’s actual reports are no longer available to journalists, as covered in the Westword and Denver Daily News.

Some action from southwest Colorado, August 1st to 7

• Saturday Aug 1st, 11:28 p.m. Two people reportedly spray-painted graffiti on a restaurant in the 700 block of Main Avenue.
• Monday 5:56 a.m. A neighbor who was evicted from a home in the 500 block of East Second Avenue kept returning.
• Monday 8:29 a.m. Two dump trucks were vandalized overnight at El Paso Street and Eastlawn Avenue.
• Monday 6:09 p.m. A money bag was stolen from a Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train.  (the railroad is a tourist thing)
• Tuesday 3:37 p.m. As many as 10 people vandalized the Durango Skate Park in the 1300 block of Roosa Avenue.
• Wednesday 8:02 a.m. Someone drove off with $51.45 in gas in the 20800 block of U.S. Highway 160, in west Durango.
• Friday 4:58 a.m. Someone moved construction barriers into the middle of the street at Main Avenue and 24th Street.

Durango police blotter highlights

Some action from southwest Colorado, week of July 24 to 31st

Bayfield, Friday, 9:18 p.m. Several youth were trespassing at a construction site in Fox Farm Circle, going through property and throwing material into the street.

Durango, Saturday, 4:13 p.m. A person with long gray hair was a vandalizing a newspaper machine at Denny’s restaurant on Camino del Rio.

Durango, Tuesday 7:36 a.m. The pool at Quality Inn, 2930 Main Ave., was vandalized.

Durango, Thursday 11:17 a.m. A car was on fire at Wal-Mart.

Durango, Friday, 2:01 a.m. A person threw a rock through a business window in the 600 block of Camino del Rio (a strip mall area).