More than a dozen SWAT and other Aurora police personnel closed several streets in the area between Harvard Avenue and Harvard Place, and South Blackhawk Street is closed between Harvard Avenue and East Vassar Avenue as police tried to take someone in to custody. PHOTO BY KARA MASON, Sentinel Colorado 
More than a dozen SWAT and other Aurora police personnel closed several streets in the area between Harvard Avenue and Harvard Place, and South Blackhawk Street is closed between Harvard Avenue and East Vassar Avenue as police tried to take someone in to custody. PHOTO BY KARA MASON, Sentinel Colorado 
More than a dozen SWAT and other Aurora police personnel closed several streets in the area between Harvard Avenue and Harvard Place, and South Blackhawk Street is closed between Harvard Avenue and East Vassar Avenue as police tried to take someone in to custody. PHOTO BY KARA MASON, Sentinel Colorado
AURORA | A bevy of Aurora police personnel spent several hours Tuesday evening trying to arrest a man suspected of vehicular homicide earlier this month, but the wanted man remains at large, according to information released by the Aurora Police Department Tuesday.
For nearly four hours Tuesday, SWAT officers closed streets and evacuated residents from the Parq at Iliff Station apartment complex as they attempted to arrest Joseph Benson, 27, on an outstanding warrant. Investigators believe Benson was the driver of a BMW that struck a Kia sedan near East Yale Avenue and South Vaughn Way May 3. The driver of the Kia, 36-year-old Patrick McDonald, was killed in the collision.
Police have been attempting to determine who was driving the BMW for several weeks as multiple occupants ran from the scene, sowing confusion after the collision. Investigators believe drugs contributed to the fatal crash.
Shortly before 6 p.m., police instructed nearby residents at the central Aurora apartment complex to brace for a series of loud bangs as officers deployed gas canisters into the Benson’s unit. Investigators later tweeted that they “utlilized extra resources” because there was a belief Benson was inside one of the apartment units with weapons.
Benson has yet to be located.
Neighbors said three brothers live in the apartment, but did not know their names.
Some neighbors complained to police on Twitter that they were upset they weren’t notified using a reverse 9-1-1 broadcast.
“There was not a reverse 911 sent b/c this incident was contained to 1 apartment unit,” police said in a tweet. “Other units in the building that were impacted where evacuated.”
Anyone with information related to Benson’s whereabouts is encouraged to call 911.