Heroin arrest, goodbye note preceded 14-hour manhunt

Adam Fulford's rap sheet was relatively benign by the time law enforcement arrived at the Fort Collins apartment where he was staying Thursday night. The 33-year-old Loveland man had some driving infractions, a disorderly conduct conviction, and had spent a stint in the Larimer County Jail for a drunk driving conviction.

But a late-night brush with the law involving heroin and a loaded rifle served as the precursor to the 14-hour manhunt that sent police scrambling after Fulford overnight Thursday and into Friday morning. In the hours after he fled the Fort Collins apartment, Fulford allegedly shot a taxi driver and stole two vehicles while eluding police, crashing the last stolen vehicle into a sedan full of bystanders in Loveland.

Fulford and the vehicle's occupants — an unidentified female driver and two unidentified juveniles — were all injured in the crash that ended the pursuit at 8:35 a.m. Friday.

"This is obviously a tragedy for the community, not only for the woman and two children who were hurt, but for the other members of the public who were endangered by (Fulford's) actions," Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said during a Friday afternoon press conference.

Smith said he believed the injuries suffered by the woman and children were not life threatening, and deputies had met with the family Friday to assure them that law enforcement was working to do everything they can to bring Fulford to justice.

Those left looking for clues about the reason for the search and pursuit that closed roads, blocked neighborhoods and sent sirens sounding across Larimer County need only look back to March 11 for answers. Then, a Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputy was patrolling Lon Hagler Reservoir on the outskirts of Loveland about 11 p.m. when he spotted a black pickup parked in a day use area. A court had ordered a misdemeanor warrant for the arrest of Fulford, the truck's driver, court records obtained by the Coloradoan show.

The deputy radioed for backup and a law enforcement K-9 signaled drugs might be in the vehicle.

Deputies found a syringe loaded with a black liquid, believed to be heroin. They discovered a container with several pills that Fulford said were prescription medications and a glass pipe used to smoke substances like methamphetamine. There were approximately 6.5 grams of heroin found in the truck.

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Investigators also located a loaded double-barrel shotgun and another rifle in the backseat, both within arm's reach of the driver's seat. A previous court order barred Fulford from owning or possessing firearms, records show.

The Larimer County District Attorney's Office charged Fulford with felony drug possession and a Class 1 Drug Felony. He posted his $1,000 cash bond days later and skipped a March 20 court appearance, prompting the warrant to be issued for his arrest.

But before missing that court date, Fulford on March 18 apparently logged onto Facebook page to send a farewell message to his friends and family.

"Goodbye everyone, I'll see y'all on the flip side ;) love each other. Don't hurt people. Be honest to yourself and especially the ones you love. Never settle for people who don't show you the same respect and kindness back. Stay away from negative (expletive), don't smoke cigarettes lol and most of all, have fun (expletive). I love you all, goodbye," he wrote.

"I'm not killing myself, so if that happens just know I didn't do it."

It remains unclear exactly what Fulford did in the nearly two weeks between that post and Thursday night's manhunt. But those who know him said they watched as substance abuse — specifically heroin — sent a wrecking ball through his life.

Autumn Kimble went on a date with Fulford about 15 years ago and knew at that time they’d be friends for a long time, she told the Coloradoan Friday afternoon. He talked about being a disc jockey in Fort Collins, had a great sense of humor and enjoyed photography.

Fulford has two young daughters, Kimble said.

“He was such a gentle spirit, this is why all of this is all so shocking,” she said, adding she wanted to offer her best wishes to everyone who was victimized in the string of events. “ … I am stunned and completely devastated to know he was in this deep amount of pain and wouldn't let anyone in to give assistance to help him as he found his strength again. I will continue to visualize him and his family with love.”

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By Friday afternoon the caliber of chaos that followed the evening incident at Scotch Pines Condominiums on Drake Road in the heart of Fort Collins was becoming clearer. Fulford evaded authorities at the apartment, where officers found multiple firearms and what the sheriff's office described as a "homemade explosive device" that the Larimer County Regional Bomb Squad later removed from the residence. Additional details about the volatility or Fulford's intent to use that device remain unclear.

After fleeing the apartment on foot, Fulford was believed to have entered a taxi cab that headed west on Drake Road, ran a red light and drove south on College Avenue into Loveland.

After a roundabout ride, the cab arrived at Horsetooth Mountain Park. The unidentified driver jumped from the moving vehicle after suffering a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg, and Fulford allegedly kept driving the cab for a few minutes along the south side of the reservoir. Sheriff's office deputies deployed a spike strip, and Fulford wrecked the cab and fled on foot, sparking a massive manhunt along the water's edge.

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About 1,100 contacts were made via the region's Everbridge Emergency Notification system, which warned nearby residents that law-enforcement agencies were scouring the area for a man believed to still be armed.

Some residents called in tips, saying they saw someone lurking in their backyards. Others scoured social media for information about what was going on, left only to wonder how a crime spree that stated miles to the east wound up in their otherwise quiet waterfront neighborhood.

After hours of searching amid worsening weather — temperatures hovered in the 30s and a cold rain began to fall — law enforcement suspended the search for Fulford at 2:42 a.m. Friday, calling off many of the estimated 75 officers working the search.

Fulford remained armed and on the run in the early hours of Friday morning, if just for a little while longer.

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A flurry of calls quickly followed as day broke.

The suspect reportedly carjacked a black Toyota Prius at gunpoint about 8:15 a.m. Friday, leaving the vehicle's driver uninjured in the vicinity of where law enforcement searched the night prior. A high-speed pursuit south along Taft Hill Road followed, reaching speeds of 100 mph on the wet road connecting Fort Collins and Loveland.

Police say Fulford dodged spike strips in north Loveland but smashed into a Subaru at the intersection of U.S. Highway 34 and Wilson Avenue about 8:35 a.m.

Fourteen hours after police first tried to apprehend their suspect, Fulford was taken into custody.

No law enforcement officers fired any weapons during the pursuit, said David Moore, sheriff's office spokesman. In addition to Larimer County deputies and park rangers, police officers from Fort Collins, Loveland, Colorado State University and Johnstown have assisted in the various aspects of the case. The Denver Police Department also deployed air resources to help in the search at Horsetooth Reservoir Thursday night.

As of Friday afternoon, Fulford was listed in critical condition at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. Neither the identity or medical condition of the taxi driver nor the occupants of the Subaru struck in Loveland were made available Friday by law enforcement.

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The list of charges now pending against Fulford is pages long, as is the list of questions that have yet to be answered. Chief among them: How did a man evade police for so long, and where did he hide after wrecking the cab?

Answers will likely begin to trickle in during the days and weeks to come.

Anyone with information about the search near Horsetooth Reservoir is asked to contact Drew Weber with the sheriff's office at 970-498-5172. Fort Collins police is investigating the crash in Loveland, and authorities request any witnesses to contact Officer Drew Jurkofsky at 970-221-6842.

Reporter Jason Pohl covers public safety for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.