Elias Armstrong: Car Theft Victim Chases Thieves, Shoots and Kills 12-Year-Old Behind the Wheel’ A Colorado man tracked his stolen car with an app, then shot and killed a 12-year-old boy behind the wheel on Sunday.
Elias Armstrong: Car Theft Victim Chases Thieves, Shoots and Kills 12-Year-Old Behind the Wheel
Denver police said the man, who has not been arrested, exchanged gunfire with at least one person inside the vehicle, WAFB reported.
READ: Ppassim Elder, Wilbert Bryant sentenced To 202 & 40 Years in Hani Kasem Murder
The 12-year-old drove off after the shooting and was found with a gunshot wound a few blocks away. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Police said other occupants of the car ran away when it stopped.
Police said they were trying to determine who fired first or what may have led up to the shooting and could not say if the car’s owner called them before or during his pursuit of the car thieves.
A police spokesperson told the station in an email that the department “recommends against owners trying to recover their stolen vehicle, because car thieves are often armed, posing a significant risk to anyone who attempted to contact them.”
Investigators say the driver of the stolen car was 12-year-old Elias Armstrong.
After the exchange of gunfire, Elias drove off a few blocks away and when officers located him, he was taken to the hospital. The other people in the car with him fled on foot, police said. Elias later died from his wounds at the hospital.
CBS News Colorado legal analyst Raj Chohan says this would be a very complicated criminal case.
“This is exactly why we don’t want civilians approaching car thieves in cases like this because something terrible can happen.” said Chohan.
It’s still unclear who pulled the triggered first – the victim of the car-theft or the people inside that car.
“The reason we have this dilemma is because a person certainly is allowed to use deadly force to defend themselves, if they reasonably believe that deadly force is about to be used on them. However, you are never allowed to use deadly force just to protect property,” said Chohan.
It all comes down to the small details and interactions before the shots rang out, according to Chohan.
“It can get very complicated. It’s really going to depend on how did the car owner approach? What was said, what did the car thieves know to happen? Who pulled their guns first and fired shots first? That’s going to go a long way towards determining whether self-defense is in play here,” explained Chohan.
Denver police contacted the auto theft victim who shot Armstrong at the scene. Police have not publicly identified him and he was not arrested. The case remains under investigation.
The other people in the stolen vehicle ran off before police arrived, investigators said.
The District Attorney’s Office says they have not yet been presented with this case for filing.
DPD encourages anyone with any information to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
The shooting took place in City Councilwoman Jamie Torres’s district. Torres called the incident “absolutely tragic” and “likely avoidable.”
“I’m heartbroken that this ended in the death of a 12 year old,” she said. “I know auto theft is a growing issue, not just in Denver but everywhere and it’s infuriating to be victimized like that, but I discourage any resident to taking a vigilante approach. It is not worth taking or risking your life. I’m heartbroken that this entire sequence of events took place and that it was brought to my District’s doorstep.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
