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An investigation into a stolen vehicle Friday night escalated into gunfire at a Midvale car wash, with the suspect allegedly shooting multiple rounds at a Unified Police Department officer and the officer shooting a bystander who he mistook for his attacker.
The bystander, a 25-year-old man, suffered initially life-threatening injuries to an arm and a leg from the two rounds fired by Officer Cory Tsouras, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.
Winder said at a Saturday news conference that the man's condition had greatly improved overnight.
"Our deepest sympathy goes out to that family and that individual," he said.
The suspect, 32-year-old Jeremy Michael Bowden, was not injured. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of aggravated attempted murder, as well as outstanding warrants, and was being held without bail.
Winder described the situation at the car wash as "extremely dynamic" and said the description of Bowden was very similar to that of the injured man — whose identity was not being released. In addition, the two men were wearing similar clothing, according to the sheriff.
Investigators were working Saturday to sort out details of the incident, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. Friday and began in the parking lot of a business complex near 7200 South and State Street.
A UPD officer was running license plate numbers of vehicles in the lot and found one that was stolen parked in front of the Mouse Pad, an Internet café at 38 W. 7200 South, Winder said. Bowden walked out of the Mouse Pad and ran west away from the officer when he spotted the patrol car, Winder said.
As Bowden went through a field and a parking lot, Tsouras, who was responding to a call for backup, pulled into the nearby Rocket Express Car Wash, 150 W. 7200 South, to cut him off.
Bowden immediately opened fire, shooting at least eight rounds into Tsouras' car, Winder said.
"Rounds impacted the UPD vehicle through the driver's headrest, windshield, laptop, and side windows," a UPD news release says. "The officer was also struck in the center of the chest, hitting his bulletproof vest, which stopped the round and saved his life."
Tsouras saw a man trying to get inside the building at the car wash, and believing he was the person who had just shot at him, fired two rounds, the release says.
Officers immediately rendered first aid and applied a tourniquet to the man's leg, according to the release.
Other officers saw Bowden jumping over a fence into an apartment complex. With assistance from multiple law-enforcement agencies, police caught him in a back yard.
Winder said Bowden fought the officers and a Taser was used to subdue him.
A firearm was recovered near the scene.
"Mr. Bowden is a very violent offender," he said.
Court records show Bowden has convictions for drug and weapons violations stretching back to 2006. As of Friday, there were also warrants out for his arrest in prior cases.
The most recent warrant was issued Oct. 1, when Bowden missed a court appearance in a drug and weapons case.
Bowden, a convicted felon from 2008 in a theft by receiving case, was caught with several knives, three pellet guns and a stolen license plate during a search incident to his arrest last month on other outstanding warrants, court records show.
Police also found scales, pipes, suspected methamphetamine, suspected psilocybin mushrooms and suspected marijuana inside a backpack Bowden was carrying, according to charges.
A $15,000 warrant was issued for Bowden on Oct. 6 when he failed to appear for court in another drug and weapons case. On Aug. 26, he was stopped while riding a stolen motorcycle and found to be carrying a semi-automatic pistol, a knife and marijuana, according to charges.
Tsouras, a three-year UPD veteran, has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is the standard procedure in shootings. The Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating the incident.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC