By Shawn Henry 
Newly released records outline how a brief late-night pursuit west of Denver led to the arrest of an off-duty Denver police officer more than a month later, following a detailed investigation that relied in part on cellphone location data.
The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 along Highway 58 near Golden. A Colorado State Patrol trooper parked on the shoulder of the roadway recorded a Dodge Ram pickup traveling 102 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. The trooper activated lights and sirens and began following the truck as it continued east toward Interstate 70 near Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge.
According to investigators, the driver accelerated rapidly as the trooper closed in, with speeds remaining near 90 mph and at times exceeding 100 mph. Traffic conditions were described as moderate, and the trooper ended the pursuit due to safety concerns. Before disengaging, the trooper obtained a partial license plate number and vehicle description.
A records check using the partial plate led troopers to Christopher Thomas, 29. Officers later waited on his street, but when Thomas returned home and noticed police presence, he allegedly fled again and avoided contact.
After identifying Thomas as a Denver police officer, state patrol and Denver police contacted the department’s internal affairs unit. Thomas later arrived at police headquarters driving the same pickup involved in the pursuit. He declined to answer questions but allowed investigators to examine his personal cellphone. A manual search did not yield usable evidence, and the phone was returned while authorities sought additional records.
Investigators later obtained a warrant for cellphone call detail records from Thomas’s carrier. Those records, reviewed using specialized software, included location and timing data. Authorities say the information allowed them to estimate travel speeds and place Thomas at locations consistent with the pursuit route.
On Friday, Thomas was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular eluding that created a substantial risk of bodily injury and misdemeanor reckless endangerment. He was released the same day on a $5,000 bond.
Thomas, who joined the Denver Police Department in 2021 and was assigned to District 1, has been suspended without pay. He has not yet been formally charged and is scheduled to return to court Monday. The department plans to conduct an administrative review after the criminal case concludes.
All parties are innocent unless proven guilty.
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Eve