DAVIS COUNTY, Utah, March 18, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — More details have been released after a standoff on a North Salt Lake overpass Wednesday.
A probable cause statement from the 2nd District Court of Farmington said Michael Thomas Looser, 37, is facing charges of:
- Two counts of failure to stop at the command of police, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
The arresting officer from Woods Cross Police Department was called to a report of a man spray painting his pickup truck outside of a local business.
“The complainant flagged me down pointing at the subject in a truck,” the statement said. “The male appeared to notice me and rapidly drove off. I followed him attempting to catch up and get a license plate, but no one was visible due to a large flag hanging over the tailgate covering the license plate. The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and changing lanes without signaling.”
The pickup truck turned into a residential neighborhood and was traveling at a high rate of speed, the statement said.
“I activated my emergency lights and the vehicle drove faster, running a stop sign and traveling in the residential neighborhood at such a high rate of speed large items were bouncing out of the bed of the truck when it would travel through cross street dip areas,” the statement said. “The pickup ran another stop sign and traveled north on SR-89. I did not pursue the vehicle any further and watched as the driver eventually went southbound on I-15 from 400 North.”
The arresting officer then broadcast information on the pickup truck to other agencies and a North Salt Lake officer saw that same vehicle exit at Center Street and travel west.
“An officer attempted another traffic stop and the vehicle fled eventually broke down and stopped on an overpass,” the statement said. “The driver had spray painted his windows and refused to come out of the passenger compartment. After a several-hour standoff with police and SWAT teams the male was still refusing to comply after several less lethal intervention methods were deployed and negotiations were used. The male fled on food and was eventually apprehended without further incident.”
Looser was transported to Davis County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
