Arvada, Colorado – Officers from the Arvada Police Department’s CORE Team faced a dangerous confrontation on October 16 around 9 a.m. when a woman repeatedly used her pit bull to block and threaten them as they attempted to arrest her.

The woman, identified as Tiffany Helms, had been found sleeping under blankets on private property near 5275 Marshall Street, with the large dog beside her. She initially gave officers a false name and date of birth, but documents inside her jacket and belongings revealed her real identity. She then admitted she had an active felony warrant for vehicular assault.

Once officers confirmed the warrant and told her she was under arrest, Helms became visibly distressed and refused to cooperate. She pulled the pit bull in front of her, tightening the leash as the dog barked and lunged toward officers.

She ignored repeated commands to stop and walked into the street, forcing traffic to halt. At one point, she raised a small metal container and claimed it was a knife, though officers recognized it was not and continued to use de-escalation tactics.

An Animal Management Officer arrived to assist. As Helms threatened to release the dog, the AMO used a catch pole to safely restrain the pit bull, allowing officers to take her into custody without injury to anyone.

Helms was transported to the Jefferson County Jail and booked on her warrant along with new charges, including menacing, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, false reporting, possession of drug paraphernalia, and pedestrian in the path of a vehicle.

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