Colo. Officer Loses Loaded 9mm Gun in Home Burglary

NORTHGLENN, Colo. --

Northglenn police are asking the public for help tracking down a thief who broke into an officer’s home Friday night and stole a loaded gun.

Police said the thief forced entry through a back window of the home near Northglenn and Grant Drives sometime between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

A television, a laptop computer, two telephones, and the officer’s off-duty 9 mm loaded handgun were all among the items stolen.

“We’re concerned anytime a weapon gets stolen,” said Northglenn Police Sgt. Jeff Herronen. While it was not in a safe, police said the veteran officer had followed department policy in storing the gun.

Herronen said the weapon holds a high street value. It will likely be sold or traded. Officers are checking pawn shops, in case anyone tries to pawn the gun.

The robbery happened in a neighborhood that’s a dedicated “block watch” community.

“We’ve got a group of about eight or ten that watch what’s going on,” said next door neighbor Jerry Shurtliff.

However, neighbors said they didn’t hear or see anything, even though the get-a-way vehicle was a friend’s car parked in the officer’s driveway.

Right now, police are focused on finding the stolen car. It’s described as a convertible, blue, 2005 PT Cruiser with high performance rims and tires.

Without any witnesses, investigators believe the car could be their biggest lead.

“We’ll be talking with informants who will be looking into where the vehicle ends up. It takes a little while, but the car will be found,” Herronen said.

Police said the officer had other police gear at the house that wasn’t stolen, including his uniforms and other issued equipment. So investigators do not believe his house was targeted because he was a police officer.

7News also asked if this neighborhood was a hot spot for recent burglaries. Police said that’s not the case either. It all appears to be a coincidence.

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