MURRAY, Utah, Dec. 9, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — An officer was allegedly assaulted by two suspects while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in Murray Thursday morning.
A Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division officer received a LoJack alert in the area of 5600 South 900 East at approximately noon, MVED Director Allan Shinney told Gephardt Daily. Shinney explained that LoJack is an auto-theft recovery system that consumers can purchase to protect their vehicle.
“He was able to track it back through the transponder and he came across it in the parking lot and believed it was abandoned,” Shinney said. “And it was not abandoned; the guy was in the driver’s seat laying down. As our guy approached the door he popped up and jumped out of the car and the struggle was on.”
A female then approached the vehicle and “she attacked my officer from behind as they were engaging and he did sustain a concussion and has pretty good goose eggs on his head. And they bit him,” Shinney said.
At this time, a citizen stepped in to try and assist the officer.
The male suspect then jumped into the officer’s patrol car and tried to drive away in it.
“Our officer was able to subdue the female and then he jumped into the car, put it into park and then was able to get him into custody at that time,” Shinney said. The officer jumped into the passenger seat of the patrol car.
The officer did not need to be hospitalized. The female is currently being booked into jail while the male was transported to an area hospital because he reportedly ingested heroin. He will then be booked into jail and both are likely to face charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
Shinney said the incident comes as a warning to people not to leave their vehicles to warm up with the keys inside.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
