Cañon City woman allegedly kidnaps child, leads police on chase

(CAÑON CITY, Colo.) — A woman is under arrest after allegedly kidnapping her non-custodial 4-year-old and leading police on a chase before having her car pinned by police vehicles.

According to the Cañon City Police Department (CCPD), reported 33-year-old Ashley Proctor was arrested on numerous charges on Wednesday, Aug. 21. CCPD said officers originally responded just before 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday to the 900 block of North Orchard Avenue, on a report of a kidnapping in progress.

When they arrived, officers made contact with a Department of Human Services caseworker who reported that Proctor had arrived for supervised visitation with her 4-year-old and had grabbed the child, assaulted the caseworker, and fled with the child in a car. CCPD said Proctor had the child removed from her custody for safety reasons several weeks prior.

As she fled the scene, officers found Proctor, though she refused to stop her car when she was signaled by police. According to CCPD, Proctor proceeded to drive recklessly through residential streets and onto Highway 50.

When Proctor tried to drive onto Skyline Drive, officers decided to pin her car against the hillside–a pursuit intervention technique that would prevent her from continuing on the highway with the 4-year-old in the car.

CCPD said the decision to pin the car with a young child inside was “calculated and intentionally executed.” Police said this decision reduced the risk of serious injury or death to anyone inside the car.

The 4-year-old, Proctor and the caseworker were all treated for minor injuries. A 9-month-old puppy was also found in the car and treated at a Colorado Springs Animal Hospital. The puppy was released with minor injuries.

Proctor was arrested on a multitude of charges, including:

Second Degree Attempted Murder

First Degree Attempted Assault

Second Degree Kidnapping

Second Degree Assault

Child Abuse

Reckless Endangerment

Vehicular Eluding

Cruelty to Animals

Eluding a Police Officer

Speeding 40 MPH Over

Reckless Driving

Careless Driving Causing Bodily Injury

Changing lanes in an Unsafe Manner

Passing on the Left in an Unsafe Manner

Failure to Properly use a Child Restraint System for a child 4-8 years old

Operating Without a Seatbelt

CCPD’s Chief Schick said the officers in this incident “exercised sound judgment under rapidly evolving circumstances wherein a child’s life was potentially at risk” and said he could not be prouder of the results of their actions.

The child has been placed in the Department of Human Services custody.

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