SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – September 23, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – A man is under arrest today after being spotted in a stolen vehicle, crashing it and trying to steal another to get away from police.
Unified Police Department Detective Jared Richardson said that a Unified police officer was working out at a local gym in the Murray area, and as he was preparing to leave, some of the employees flagged him down and said there was a suspicious person in the establishment. The officer went out to his car as he couldn’t find the person in the gym. The man got in his car to leave and when the officer ran the plate, it turned out the car was stolen.
The suspect left in the vehicle and the officer followed him and called for backup. As the vehicle approached the Cottonwood Heights area, the suspect became aware he was being followed and a short chase ensued. The pursuit was terminated, but in a matter of minutes the vehicle was located again by officers, who were able to spike the vehicle and slow the pursuit down.
The pursuit continued at a slower rate from the Bengal Blvd. part of Highland Drive, and the vehicle eventually crashed in the parking lot of the American United Federal Credit Union, 2277 Fort Union Blvd. The driver ran on foot and jumped into some storage units. He ran around a couple of times and then came across a Ford SUV running with the door ajar, possibly an Escape or an Edge. When the suspect attempted to steal it, the owner got into a physical altercation with him, trying to get him to stop.
The police then caught up with the suspect, who has been identified as Elliott Hanson, 25, and took him into custody. He was complaining of chest pain and was taken to a local hospital, then will be booked into Salt Lake County Jail on various charges.
Richardson said he was glad nobody was harmed during the incident, but would caution members of the public about getting into altercations with suspects in situations like this. “Alcohol or drugs could have compounded the situation,” Richardson said. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt over property. Let us handle it for you.”
The police will be doing a full inventory of the contents of the original stolen vehicle, which is believed to come from the Salt Lake City area.
We will have more on this developing story as it becomes available.
