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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KDVR) — A man in a pickup truck plowed through the front doors of the Grand Junction Police Department on Wednesday.

According to the police department, the crash happened at around 12:30 p.m. when the truck went right into the public lobby of the department before coming to a stop after it collided with a retaining wall that divides the police department employees from the lobby.

At the time, 11 employees were behind the wall.

Officers quickly ran to the lobby after the collision and addressed the driver at gunpoint and ordered him out of the truck. GJPD said the man was taken into custody without incident and was not injured.

The driver was identified as 45-year-old Nathan Chacon.

According to the arrest affidavit, Chacon’s truck was fully inside the lobby and had destroyed an area with benches where people would have been waiting in order to report a crime. Thankfully, the department said no one was using the benches at the time and no one was injured.

GJPD said that the damage to the lobby, entrance doors and bulletproof window panes is estimated to cost over $100,000 but less than $1 million.

Suspect intentionally drove into department

Police asked Chacon why he rammed into the lobby, and he told officers that as he was leaving Grand Junction he thought he was “being followed” by several cars. Chacon said he became paranoid and started to drive erratically.

When Chacon eventually arrived at the department, he told officers that he didn’t want to be killed so he drove into the lobby.

Based on Chacon’s statement, GJPD said they had probable cause to believe he intentionally drove his truck into the lobby.

Police received previous calls concerning Chacon

The arrest affidavit said that Chacon was no stranger to law enforcement. Records show that there have been at least 90 calls for service involving Chacon over the last few years. Recent calls had said Chacon was becoming frustrated with deputies as he would hang up on or swear at them over the phone.

Chacon was arrested for the following charges:

  • First-degree attempted murder
  • First-degree attempted assault
  • Attempted vehicular homicide – reckless driving
  • Attempted vehicular assault
  • Criminal mischief
  • Reckless endangerment

The lobby is temporarily closed, but residents can call GJPD if they need help.