West Valley City, UT - Handcuffed Voyeurism Suspect Punched Officer - Steals Police Car - 90 MPH Chase - Crashes Into Pole/Ditch

Suspect slips cuffs, steals cop car, hits pole, crashes   
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 12/17/2009 07:48:01 AM MST


 

A stolen West Valley City squad car rests in a ditch A man accused of voyeurism at a mall stole a police car and started a chase Wednesday afternoon.

The pursuit ended when the stolen police car struck a light pole and rolled off State Road 201 near 7200 West, said West Valley City police Lt. John Coyle. The crash briefly closed one lane of the road and backed up traffic for several miles.

Phuong Le, 20, of West Valley City, was not seriously injured and was to be booked into the Salt Lake County jail.

Coyle said the episode began about 2:45 p.m., when a West Valley City officer arrested Le at Valley Fair Mall, 3601 S. 2700 West. Le was suspected of taping a Blackberry to his foot and attempting to record video images up female clerks' skirts, he said.

As the officer drove the man to jail, Le began to complain of shortness of breath, Coyle said. The officer stopped the car and exited to check on the man.

His problems "may have all been a ruse," Coyle said.

Somehow, Le had slipped out of his handcuffs, Coyle said. As the officer got out of the car, Le crawled through a space in the barrier that divides the front from the rear seats. He punched the officer as he tried to stop him, and drove off, Coyle said.

"How he slipped out of his handcuffs I have no idea," he said. The opening in the grate is often locked, but can be opened and shut.

Another officer picked up the car about 30 seconds later and gave chase. Two more West Valley officers tried to stop the car using spikes, but he maneuvered around them as he drove at speeds reaching 90 mph.

Le lost control of the car and hit the pole. The cruiser left the road and went into a drainage ditch, coming to rest about five miles from the mall. The chase lasted about five minutes.

He could face felony charges of assault on a police officer, auto theft and evading arrest, in addition to the voyeurism misdemeanor.

The officer suffered a cut on his lip, Coyle said, and was treated at the scene. His name was not released, but Coyle said he is an 18-year veteran of the department.

The car will be taken to the city services building for possible repair. The cruiser is a take-home car, and in the meantime, the officer will use a spare.

John Griego, 22, was at the nearby Rocky Mountain Raceway when he saw police and paramedics descend on the ditch.

"I saw the cop car, and I said, 'Oh, that's why they're going so crazy,' " he said.
Back