Durango, Colorado – On May 16, a man wanted on a domestic violence warrant ran from Durango Police and jumped into a freezing river, turning a routine arrest into a dramatic rescue.

The foot chase began when officers tried to contact the suspect. He took off on foot and leapt into the river in a desperate attempt to escape.

But the swift current took control.

Suddenly, it wasn’t about running anymore. The man was drowning.

He cried out for help.

Durango officers didn’t hesitate. The arrest could wait. His life could not.

They acted fast, shifting from pursuit to rescue.

Thermal drone footage shows the danger—darkness, a raging current, and water barely above freezing.

Bodycam video captures the chaos and the decisions made in seconds.

Durango Police later explained that when someone has a warrant, they are required to act. But when that person is drowning, their job becomes saving a life.

They followed the law, and their instincts.

In the end, the suspect was pulled from the water and survived. What began as a chase ended in a rescue.

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