Man gets 216 years for shooting at cops

Manuel Diaz

AURORA | A man who fired a pistol at police and led them on a high-speed chase in February 2009 was sentenced to 216 years in prison today.

Manuel Adrian Diaz, 32, was previously convicted of multiple charges, including attempted murder and drug trafficking, prosecutors said in a statement. 

Here is a link to previous coverage of the case. 

Click below for the statement from prosecutors.

Man Sentenced To 216 Years in DOC after

Shooting at Two Aurora Officers in High Speed Chase

Centennial, CO. – Arapahoe County District Court Judge John L. Wheeler sentenced Manuel Adrian Diaz, 32, to 216 years in the Department of Corrections today, for the attempted murders of two Aurora Police Officers during a high speed chase in February 2009.  In May 2010, an Arapahoe County District Court jury found Diaz guilty of multiple felony counts for drug trafficking as well as the attempted murder charges.

On the evening of February 24, 2009, two Aurora police officers were in the area of East First Avenue and Lima in Aurora,  looking for stolen cars in an undercover vehicle, when they spotted Diaz driving a black Chevy Tahoe traveling the opposite direction of traffic.  Diaz was a fugitive at the time, as he had failed to appear for a drug possession hearing earlier that month.

In an attempt to get the plate numbers on Diaz’s vehicle, the officers then drove to the next street--Lima--and began a left hand turn.  Diaz then pulled out a .45 caliber handgun, reached out his driver's side window, and fired in the direction of the undercover police car.  Both officers testified that they heard the sound of bullets whizzing overhead.  One of the shots fired by the defendant went over the police car and into a residence directly behind the police car, entered the residence through the roof, and ended up in the kitchen, which was occupied by a woman and her 13-year-old son. 

After the shooting, police searched for Diaz’s vehicle, and found it at the intersection of E. Mississippi and S. Moline.  Police pursued the vehicle along E. Mississippi from Moline to S. Buckley road.  The defendant then entered a residential area, followed by police, and eventually re-entered E. Mississippi from S. Norfolk Street. 

Diaz lost control of the vehicle and crashed through a residential fence.  Although police placed him at gunpoint, Diaz escaped officers by driving in reverse on E. Mississippi.  Officers observed the defendant driving backwards in a southeasterly direction heading the wrong way towards the eastbound lanes of traffic. 

The two officers and another Aurora Police Officer all attempted to stop Diaz by ramming his SUV but were unsuccessful.  A fourth officer attempted to ram the defendant's vehicle, which sent Diaz through another privacy fence, into a back yard.  A piece of lumber-from the fence- then penetrated the officer's windshield, coming within inches of his head.  Diaz was finally apprehended by police.  Officers found over 3 grams of methamphetamine on Diaz and approximately $2500 in cash.  Officers located a .45 cal handgun at the location of the first fence break.

"This was one of the most egregious and reckless series of actions that I have ever seen,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Rich Orman.  “First, he shot off a gun in a residential neighborhood that actually ended up going into someone's house, and then got into a high speed chase down E. Mississippi that involved running red lights and speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.  He totally disregarded the lives and welfare of the citizens of Aurora and members of the Police Department.”

"The most impressive part of this case for me was the extreme courage shown by members of the Aurora Police Department,” said Deputy District Attorney Vicki Klingensmith.  “Of course, we expect nothing less, but that doesn't make what they did any less impressive.  The officers who put their lives on the line to catch this defendant are true American heroes.  If they were in the Army, they would be up for the Congressional Medal of Honor."

Senior Deputy District Attorney Rich Orman and Deputy District Attorney Vicki Klingensmith. prosecuted the case on behalf of the District Attorney’s Office, 18^th District.