The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office issued a “code red” to residents in the Oxford area, southeast of Durango, warning them of a man who fled a traffic stop and remained on the lam Thursday afternoon.
The traffic stop was initiated shortly after 3 p.m. near Oxford, which is at County Road 513 and Colorado Highway 172, said Chris Burke, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
It was not immediately known why law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle.
A man inside the vehicle is suspected of fleeing on foot.
The Sheriff’s Office used a drone and other resources to search the area, which is fairly rural with scattered mobile homes, small farms and clusters of trees.
The code red was issued about 3:15 p.m. to residents within a 5-mile radius of Oxford. A reverse-911 was issued about 4:45 p.m. advising residents that law enforcement was no longer looking for the suspect.
No arrest had been made, but Burke said authorities were calling off the search for the night.
“There's no danger to the public, and the evidence was collected,” Burke said.
The suspect was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt with a black mask and a black hat. He was possibly armed, Burke said.
Anyone with information about the man’s whereabouts is asked to call a tip line at 385-8700.
shane@durangoherald.com
