Suspect rams Ogden cop car, is shot; captured in Logan

A man was in serious condition Wednesday at Logan Regional Hospital after being shot by a police officer in Ogden and then leading law enforcement on a multi-county, high-speed chase.

The incident began about 11:20 p.m. Tuesday when the Ogden officer responded to a complaint about a suspicious vehicle in The Gate at Canyon Ridge Apartments complex (1455 Valley Drive.) When the officer approached the vehicle, the driver attempted to drive away.

The suspect rammed the officer's cruiser repeatedly and the officer opened fire on the vehicle as it sped away.

Ogden police Lt. Chad Ledford confirmed that suspect was wounded. The officer was unharmed, but has been put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the Weber County Attorney's Office.

Ledford referred further questions to Weber County Attorney Dee Smith. Smith confirmed his investigators had begun interviews and evidence gathering, but he declined further comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Though wounded, the suspect reportedly sped west on 20th Street to Interstate 15, ramming another police unit before traveling northbound on the freeway at speeds of up to 110 mph. The chase crossed out of Weber County and into Box Elder County before the driver entered Cache County.

Along the way, Utah Highway Patrol troopers had twice spiked the suspect's tires, but he continued to elude police.

"When he got to Logan he was riding on his rims," Logan Police Chief Greg Jensen said, adding that the chase ended about 1:15 a.m. when the suspect drove into a carport and his front wheels went over the edge of the concrete pad and became stuck.

"At that point he was stuck. With no rubber [on his wheels] he couldn't get any traction," Jensen said. "We gave him orders to get out of the car but he refused, with some expletives."

Police resorted to a K-9 unit and the dog to finally end the standoff. "Their presence can be a little bit ominous. I guess he didn't want to follow having been shot with being bitten and he gave up," Jensen said.

Officers on the scene reported that the suspect had sustained gunshot wounds to his shoulder and a hand. He was transported to Logan Regional Hospital.

Further details on the suspect — his identity, his motive for fleeing, or whether he had a criminal record — were not immediately available.

Jensen said no weapons were found in the car, but the man and the vehicle smelled of alcohol.

remims@sltrib.com