WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah Sept. 5, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A West Valley City K-9 officer — the four-footed kind — put the bite on a fleeing felon early Wednesday morning in what cops called a “running apprehension.”
The first contact with the suspect happened about 1:00 a.m. when detectives, acting on a red hot tip, located a stolen vehicle in front of a home near 3600 S. 4400 West.
West Valley City Police Sgt. Sean McCarthy, from the department’s Street Crimes Unit, told Gephardt Daily a detective was approaching the car on foot when a man came out of the residence and jumped behind the wheel.
Officers managed to spike the car’s tires as it pulled away. Two miles down the road, with sparks shooting from stolen car’s rims, the chase came to a jarring halt as pursuing police performed a PIT maneuver, disabling the vehicle near 3100 S. 5600 West.
The driver bolted from the heavily damaged car and ran east with K-9 officers giving chase. Moments later, a police dog brought the suspect down in a swampy area at the side of the road.
The suspect, identified as Jason Hinkson, suffered bites to his legs. He was transported to Jordan Valley West Hospital for his injuries.
Investigators say they found a significant stash of heroin inside the stolen car, along with a loaded handgun. They also seized “a whole lot of drug paraphernalia.”
McCarthy said Hinkson is a known felon and will be charged with being a restricted person in possession of a firearm in addition to the drug and car theft charges. He’ll also be charged with fleeing police officers.
