SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 18, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — New details have emerged after a suspect was fired on by one or more State Bureau of Investigation officers Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City.
The man, who was treated at a hospital then booked into jail, was Romeo Jimmy Lopez Jr., 27. He has been charged on suspicion of:
- Two counts of assault on a peace officer in uniform, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of failure to stop or respond at the command of police, a third-degree felony
A probable cause statement filed in the case says that at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, officers observed a hand-to-hand transaction between the man they identified as Lopez and another person.
“The law enforcement officers observed the AP operated a silver Mercedes SUV, and they attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle the AP operated,” the statement says. “The AP failed to stop for the SBI agents signal; subsequently, they terminated their pursuit.
“At approximately 1500 hours, the law enforcement officers located Lopez in the same Mercedes SUV he was observed in earlier that day in the area of 700 North and 1900 West, Salt Lake City.
“Officers followed the AP and conducted a high-risk stop with their lights and sirens activated on their police vehicle to effect the arrest of the AP in a neighborhood north of 700 N.”
Post-Miranda, Lopez said he saw that the officer’s uniforms looked similar to those worn by U.S. Marshals.
“As the law enforcement officers conducted the high-risk stop, the AP drove his vehicle at two of the law enforcement officers. Officer(s) fired their firearms at the AP as he drove the vehicle he operated at the law enforcement officers.”
Lopez allegedly attempted to flee, and drove over the fence and part of the yard of a nearby residence, the statement says.
“As the AP fled from the officers, the AP exited the neighborhood from Morton Drive onto 700 North; when the AP entered onto 700 North, Lopez struck a FedEx with his vehicle. The AP’s vehicle was disabled, and the law enforcement officers were able to take the AP into custody.”
The driver of the Federal Express truck was not injured, officials have said. Lopez was treated at a local hospital and released into police custody.
Lopez was on parole at the time of the incident, having bailed out after being charged in Davis County with theft, failure to stop at the command of police, burglary of a vehicle, an accident involving property damage, and driving on a revoked or suspended licence.
That case involves crimes allegedly committed on Aug. 16 and 24.
Lopez is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail.
An officer-involved critical incident investigation will be conducted to determine whether the one or more SBI agents who fired their guns were justified in the use of deadly force.
