A man was arrested on Oct. 2 after leading an officer on a high-speed chase in a van that flashed red and blue emergency lights.
Cortez Police officer Angelo Martinez reported that he noticed a white minivan with flashing red and blue lights behind him as he patrolled E. Main Street near Colorado Highway 145 about 10:40 a.m. The van did not show government markings, and it had a Colorado license plate, according to Martinez’s report.
The van passed Martinez and continued east on U.S. Highway 160 at 70 mph, the report states. Martinez began to pursue the vehicle, which passed County Road 29, traveling east at 100 mph. The van passed several cars on both the left and right before suddenly pulling onto the shoulder near the McElmo Flume scenic pullout and coming to a stop.
Martinez drew his weapon and ordered the man to get out of the vehicle with his hands showing, according to the report. A “very tall man” wearing a leather vest and blue jeans stepped out of the van and began walking back toward Martinez. The officer ordered the man to get away from the van and onto his knees, and he complied after a few minutes.
Martinez handcuffed the man, who identified himself as Cleveland Rix, according to the report. Rix said there were people after him who had killed his sister-in-law, and he had some “covert things going on,” Martinez wrote in the report. Rix was rambling, changing subjects and not making sense, the report states.
Another officer responded to the scene and found no contraband in the vehicle, according to Martinez’s report. Rix told Martinez he got the red and blue LED lights from Wal-Mart about seven months ago.
Rix was arrested and transported to the Montezuma County Detention Center, where he was detained on suspicion of vehicular eluding, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, knowingly possessing a vehicle with red and blue lights and passing a vehicle on the shoulder. Rix was still in jail as of Oct. 11, according to the sheriff’s jail report.