SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 22, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A 20-year-old man who reportedly injured a Utah Highway Patrol trooper while fleeing on a dirt bike has been charged with two felonies.
Jamin Jenkins faces charges of:
- Aggravated assault targeting a law officer with bodily injury, a first degree-felony
- Failure to respond to an officer’s signal, a second-degree felony
- Purchase, possess, consume by minor a measured amount of alcohol, a class B misdemeanor
Utah Highway Patrol trooper Colton Freckleton told Gephardt Daily early Saturday that a trooper had been hit by the dirt bike and had his leg broken. Later on Saturday, Freckleton updated that status, saying the trooper’s leg was seriously injured, but had not been broken as originally believed.
The suspect was riding the dirt bike on Utah State Capitol grounds shortly before 2 a.m., Freckleton said.
“Two troopers responded,” he said. “One of the troopers (who was out of his vehicle) attempted to stop him, and he accelerated and ran into the trooper.”
Jenkins then crashed the dirt bike and was taken into custody.
The injured trooper was transported to the hospital with the leg injuries and a sprained wrist, Freckleton said.
“The 20-year-old was allegedly intoxicated,” Freckleton said. “He had previously fled from Salt Lake City police, probably from a traffic stop.”
Jenkins’ probable cause statement says Jenkins admitted to the acts.
“A/P (accused person) was driving a dirt bike on the Capitol grounds. UHP Troopers attempted to stop the A/P, but he failed to stop.
“Post Miranda, the A/P admitted to ‘revving’ his engine and continuing to drive into the person in front of him, which was a trooper, with the intention that he would move out of the way. The A/P collided with the trooper causing the trooper to sustain bodily injury. The A/P is 20 years old and had a measurable amount of alcohol in his system.”
Jenkins was released on conditions but without bail pending upcoming court proceedings.
