This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An American Fork man suspected of using a BB gun to steal a car before crashing into a deputy's truck while fleeing police is in the Utah County jail following his Wednesday arrest, police say.
The 20-year-old man approached a customer at a 7-Eleven parking lot in American Fork around noon, took out a gun and demanded the keys to the customer's sedan, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said.
Officers from several different agencies searched for the man in the area before a sheriff's deputy spotted the stolen car and attempted to stop it.
. The suspect eventually hit another deputy's truck, an impact that disabled both the truck and the stolen car. Neither driver was injured by the impact.
"I can tell you this, the deputy who was involved is not unhappy that his car is damaged," Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said Thursday.
Cannon said office policy allows a sheriff's deputy to use his or her car to stop a fleeing suspect in some cases, including if officers believe the suspect may be armed.
Police said the man, who was on probation, has a history of weapons and drug convictions, and that there were three active warrants for his arrest, American Fork Sgt. Cameron Paul said.
He was booked into Utah County jail on charges that include felony drug possession, aggravated robbery, and on suspicion of multiple charges related to the pursuit.
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