DUI suspect who drove into West Valley police cruiser identified, faces multiple charges

Photos: Gephardt Daily/Monico Garza/SLCScanner; Salt Lake County

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, June 11, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — The man who fled from officers investigating a “suspicious vehicle” call and then drove head-on into a police cruiser Saturday night has been identified.

Christopher S. Ritter, 30, was booked into the Salt Lake County jail after police responded to calls from residents reporting that a vehicle was slowly driving back and forth in front of a park where several children were playing.

Lt. Amy Maurer, WVC Police Department, told Gephardt Daily officers were dispatched at about 7:44 p.m. to the area of 6757 West and 3860 South.

When police located the vehicle and tried to stop it, the driver fled at high speed and a brief chase ensued. Another officer came from the opposite direction to assist.

“The suspect vehicle ended up ramming our officer, causing damage to our vehicle as well as his,” Maurer said.

When the police ordered Ritter out of the car, he not only refused to comply but struggled with officers as they took him into custody.

Ritter is facing charges of:

  • Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony
  • Driving under the influence, a class B misdemeanor
  • Open container – drinking alcohol in a vehicle, a class C misdemeanor
  • Failure to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
  • Obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor
  • Failure to respond to officers signal to stop, a third-degree felony
  • Reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor

Unified Police Department was conducting the investigation as required by protocol, because a WVCPD vehicle was rammed in the incident.

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