Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Colorado Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting ATF Special Agent
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Dallas Michael Theiss, age 24, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a federal officer on April 9, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, ATF agents and officers with the Colorado Springs police department were attempting to arrest the defendant at a 7-Eleven store on April 9, 2021. Agents surrounded the defendant’s blue Nissan Sedan, moving their police vehicles to the rear and side of the defendant’s car. The defendant attempted to get away by reversing his car, but was blocked by an ATF vehicle. The defendant then accelerated forward, ran over a curb, onto the sidewalk in front of the 7-Eleven store, and directly towards an ATF Special Agent standing near the doorway. The Special Agent was unable to get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle and was forced to shoot at the car’s windshield and driver’s side window. The defendant hit the Special Agent in the leg with the car and then fled at a high rate of speed. After a short pursuit, the defendant barricaded himself in a Colorado Springs residence for approximately two hours before being taken into custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle he was driving resulted in the discovery of two firearms.
“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.”
United States District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer sentenced Mr. Theiss on November 19, 2021.
The ATF and the Colorado Springs Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Churnet handled the prosecution of the case.
Case No. 21-cr-0149
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