COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The man arrested following an officer-involved shooting and chase of a stolen police cruiser down I-25 in Colorado Springs is facing a charge of first-degree murder with additional charges pending.
The suspect identified as 31-year-old Osemeke Uwadibie is in custody at the El Paso County Jail, being held without bond.
Late Friday, May 13, Colorado Springs Police received a call from a man who says he was asked for a ride on E Arvada St by a man brandishing a knife. The caller was able to break away and call 911.
According to the arrest affidavit, when CSPD Officer Brandon Lowe arrived on the scene, Uwadibie walked out of an apartment and began chasing witnesses. He reportedly tried to prevent the officer from getting out of his patrol car.
Uwadibie reportedly struck the officer with a cane before getting behind the wheel and taking off in the patrol car. Officer Lowe fired several shots at the suspect as he drove away, striking Uwadibie once in the arm.
The suspect then headed down E Arvada St and onto southbound I-25. According to police, the police cruiser was involved in several crashes before an officer used their cruiser to disable the vehicle, pinning it against a guardrail.
While officers were dealing with the crash scene, others checked out the apartment where the suspect came from to approach the officer. They discovered Charles Gregg Slabaugh dead inside an apartment bedroom.
A woman in the apartment told officers a man broke in by shattering a living room window. The suspect reportedly asked the woman if she had a gun before heading into the bedroom.
The woman left the apartment to get help from a neighbor who brought an ax with him to confront the suspect. The neighbor told officers he saw the suspect causing serious injuries to the abdomen and neck of a man inside the apartment.
The suspect then broke out another window and began coming after the neighbor with a cane, according to the affidavit. At some point, the suspect was hit with the flat side of the ax. At this point, the officer arrived at the apartment complex and was confronted by the suspect. The neighbor told detectives he dropped the ax while helping the officer. The ax was later found in the crashed police cruiser, presumably picked up by the suspect as he was leaving the area.
Afterward the crash on I-25, Uwadibie was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The officer suffered minor injuries and is on administrative leave per CSPD policy.
Under Colorado law, the officer-involved shooting incident will be investigated by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the findings turned over to the 4th Judicial District for review.
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