SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Dec. 1, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Police have identified a parolee who allegedly rammed two police vehicles during a high-speed chase in Salt Lake County early Wednesday morning.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Casey Driggers Cooper, 35, is facing charges of:
- 2 counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop or respond at the command of police, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Possession of a controlled substance, schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor
The incident began in the area of 700 W. Bingham Junction Blvd. at approximately 3:48 a.m. when Unified Police Department officers responded to a possible burglary at a construction site.
When officers arrived, a Chevrolet Suburban fled the scene. Officers spotted Cooper, who failed to respond to commands to stop.
“Instead, Cooper ran toward an F-150, entered it, started it, and fled through the parking lot in his vehicle,” the statement said. “He took a wrong turn in the parking lot and had to turn around. He came at me head-on and rammed my patrol vehicle at approximately 10 mph.”
Cooper then put his vehicle in reverse, according to police. When he tried fleeing again, he rammed the patrol vehicle again at approximately 20 mph, causing the officer to lunge forward in his seat and slam his head into the steering wheel. The crash also “caused a significant amount of front-end damage” to the patrol vehicle.
Cooper then fled in his pickup truck.
“He drove extremely recklessly and fast through Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, and Sandy City areas,” the statement said. “In the area of 9400 S. Highland Drive, Casey entered a park-and-ride. He lost control of his vehicle after driving over a curb and onto a grassy area. His truck spun 180 degrees, and put him head-on with another pursuing officer.”
Cooper then accelerated at the second officer, hitting into his patrol vehicle head-on, and causing significant damage to the patrol vehicle, police said.
Officers pinned the suspect’s driver’s door shut and he was ordered from his vehicle and taken into custody, according to arresting officers.
After being read his Miranda rights, Casey admitted to running from officers, stating he “didn’t want to go back to prison,” the statement said. He said he had been on parole for approximately a year-and-a-half and “knew if he was caught, he would go back to prison.” Cooper said he has fled from officers “many times,” and this time officers “brought it,” the statement said.
Cooper had a methamphetamine pipe in his truck, that he admitted belonged to him. He also had a plastic twist containing methamphetamine.
“Casey is a parolee from the Utah State Prison and has a significant criminal history,” the statement said.
He was transported to the Salt Lake County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
The other suspect and suspect vehicle is still outstanding, police said.
