SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 4, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City police started out searching for one suspect early Sunday morning, and ended up arresting another, after a convoluted search on the city’s west side.
Police were originally looking for the suspect in an armed SUV theft, which happened around 8:19 p.m. Saturday near 100 South and 1900 West.
During that investigation, “officers learned two people were caught breaking into a car. One of the victims confronted the suspects. During that confrontation, one of the suspects threatened one of the victims with a gun,” the SLCPD statement says.
“One of the suspects stole the victim’s white SUV and drove away. The second suspect got into their own car and drove away.”
Hours later, around 3:14 a.m. Sunday, SLCPD officers spotted what they thought was the stolen SUV near 800 W. North Temple.
“The officer attempted a traffic stop but the driver refused to pull over,” an SLCPD statement says.
About two minutes later, officers lost sight of the SUV they observed at 800 W. North Temple. Three minutes after that, other officers spotted a white SUV near 500 S. Navajo St.
“Officers believed the white SUV they had just located was the same stolen white SUV that fled from other officers earlier based on the fast and reckless manner for which the white SUV they were watching was being operated,” the police statement says. “Officers attempted to stop the white SUV, but the driver refused to pull over.”
The driver exited the white SUV and started running into the neighborhood. Officers began a search for the suspect, and set up containment around the last known location, in the 900 block of West Pueblo Street.
Officers heard multiple gunshots about that time, but those turned out to be unrelated to the pursuit, the police statement says. At 4:38 a.m., officers safely located the suspect, later identified as Bode Smith, 22, hiding in a garbage can near 950 South and 1500 West.
In addition to the arrest of Smith, officers arrested a woman. She was inside the white SUV that Smith was driving. Officers booked her into jail on active warrants.
Smith was charged on suspicion of:
- Failure to respond to officers signal to stop, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Driving on a suspended or revoked license, a class C misdemeanor
An SLCPD statement said Smith will also be charged on suspicion of violating probation and/or parole.
According to the SLCPD press release, officers determined the white SUV Smith was driving was not the same one they had originally been pursuing after it was stolen Saturday.
The suspect in that case is still wanted by police.
