MIDVALE, Utah, Sept. 17, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Unified Police Department seeks an aggravated kidnapping suspect on the run.
The man was encountered just after 6 p.m. Friday driving in the Midvale area where officers recognized him, UPD Lt. Nate Lord told Gephardt Daily, adding “He’s well known to police. He has a long criminal record.”
Officers followed the man for a short period of time until a traffic stop with lights and sirens was initiated in the Cottonwood area, but the man fled, without drawing a police chase. “We don’t pursue people in high-speed situations at six in the evening on a Friday in a high-density area,” Lord said.
The man drove through a fence at 6900 S. 900 East, and was last seen in the area of 4500 S. 900 East, where he generated a number of calls to dispatch from citizens reporting a reckless driver. The suspect was able to elude capture even though the ground officers had the assistance of a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, Lord said.
The man is wanted on a warrant for aggravated kidnapping, Lord declining to give out further details except that the charge involved the use of a weapon, a gun in this case.
Detective have asked the man’s name not be released while they pursue a number of leads to his whereabouts, the lieutenant said. The suspect is not believed to be a threat to the general public, and investigators are confident he will be located shortly, Lord said. Anyone with information is asked to call dispatch at 801-840-4000.
