DENVER — A Colorado man has been sentenced to more than 9 years in federal prison for assaulting an ATF special agent.
On April 9, 2021, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attempted to arrest 24-year-old Dallas Michael Theiss at a 7-Eleven store.
ATF agents surrounded Theiss' blue Nissan Sedan by moving their police vehicles behind and beside the Nissan. Theiss tried to get away by reversing his car, but was blocked by an ATF vehicle.
Theiss then accelerated forward, jumping the curb and landing onto the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven. An ATF special agent was standing near the doorway and was unable to get out of the way.
The agent shot at the car's windshield and driver's side window. Theiss struck the special agent in the leg and then drove off.
After a short pursuit, Theiss barricaded himself in a Colorado Springs home for roughly two hours before being taken into custody.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, authorities discovered two firearms.
A plea agreement was reached in this case. On Nov. 19, United States District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer sentenced Theiss to 110 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
“This case demonstrates the kind of heroic acts that federal law enforcement officers undertake every day to keep us safe,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “Taking violent offenders off the street is a dangerous business, and we are grateful no one was killed in this incident.”
“We are fortunate the injuries our agent suffered were not fatal. Through extraordinary bravery and professionalism in the face of imminent danger, this violent criminal was taken into custody without anyone else being harmed,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge David Booth. “We applaud the United States Attorney’s Office in their success in this case thus removing a violent criminal from our communities.”
