DENVER (KDVR) — A Littleton man was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after he endangered a family’s lives while fleeing from deputies in January.
In February, FOX31 shared the story of the first responders who saved a family of pedestrians who were outside a busy King Soopers on Highlands Ranch Parkway and South University Boulevard.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies Trent Hoffman and Connor Lacey were on a routine patrol on Jan. 26 when they were notified of a found stolen vehicle through the county’s camera system.
They activated their emergency lights to stop the reportedly stolen vehicle, and footage shared by the sheriff’s office shows the driver, Joseph Blodgett, 31, of Littleton, quickly reversing the stolen car toward a group of pedestrians — a mother and two children.
“At which point I drove in front of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to crash into me,” Lacey told FOX31’s Alliyah Sims in February.
This image shows deputy’s cruisers pinning a suspect vehicle outside a King Soopers in Douglas County on Jan. 26, 2025. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office) 
A suspect is arrested after attempting to reverse a stolen vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians. (Courtesy the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)
Blodgett was charged with reckless endangerment, motor vehicle theft, eluding, shoplifting, drug possession and driving without a valid license. He pleaded guilty to felony eluding and reckless endangerment, resulting in his four-year prison sentence.
“We are grateful to the quick-thinking actions of Deputy Lacey who saved this offender from seriously hurting civilians,” said Deputy District Attorney Chase Helseth. “This sentence shows that if you run from police and put our citizens at risk, you will be held accountable.”
In February, Lacey was still in training with the department, having been employed there for only five months.
“They did an outstanding job; they saved lives that day,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly told FOX31 earlier this year. “The guys are true heroes.”
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
