WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Oct. 22, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A West Valley City police officer has been hospitalized after being run over in the parking lot of an LDS church early Thursday morning.
According West Valley City Police Sgt. Robert Brinton, the officer was struck while responding to a call of a suspicious vehicle idling in the church driveway at 6710 West 4145 South.
When officers arrived about 3:06 a.m. they saw a man in his late 20s to mid-30s who appeared to be sleeping while sitting upright behind the wheel of Dodge Ram pickup truck.
Officers approached the truck and confirmed the man was sound asleep with what looked to be drug paraphernalia in the seat next to him, Brinton said.
Police opened the driver’s door and found he was “verbally non-compliant.” Briton said the man then threw the truck into gear, knocking one of the patrol officers to the asphalt and driving over him.
Briton said the pickup then smashed into a police car parked in the entrance of the church driveway and drove it 75 feet across the street into a neighbor’s front yard.
Police attempted to give chase, but soon lost sight of the vehicle as it sped away headed southbound, Brinton said.
The injured officer suffered scrapes and bruises to his head, legs and shoulders and was taken to a hospital by ground ambulance. Briton said the officer was spared from being more seriously injured due to the pickup truck’s high ground clearance.
An ATL (attempt to locate) was sent out across the Salt Lake Valley.
The vehicle is described as a black 2010 Dodge Ram quad-cab pickup with temporary tags.
Briton said the truck is believed to have been stolen.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call West Valley City police.
