Prosecutors have filed an attempted murder count and other charges against a driver who was arrested after allegedly trying to run over an Orem officer with a pickup truck.
The officer fired at the driver, Sam Bencomo, but hit the truck’s passenger, who has been identified by her family as Julia Jones, in the face. She is recovering.
Wednesday marks the first time police have spoken publicly about the shooting since they released scant information — that there had been a shooting and a chase — the day it happened, May 8.
Police Chief Gary Giles showed video of the events to reporters Wednesday, and said the department delayed releasing the information that an officer had shot someone because, at first, police didn’t know if Jones had been injured in a crash or by gunfire.
(Photo courtesy Dale and Laura Jones) Julia Jones rests in a hospital bed at Utah Valley Hospital after being shot by Orem police on Friday, May 8, 2020.
Bencomo drove away after allegedly trying to strike the officer, but crashed shortly afterward, according to a probable cause statement. Police took Bencomo into custody on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, a first-degree felony. Jones was taken to a hospital and had surgery.
“So, initially, we were still trying to figure this all out,” he said.
The shooting stemmed from a hit-and-run, in which Bencomo is alleged to have backed into a parked car at a dealership and left. The dealership owner followed Bencomo’s truck to a gas station, where the owner flagged down a police officer.
The police officer tried to stop the truck, but Bencomo allegedly fled and swore at the officer, according to charging documents.
Another officer caught up to the truck at a nearby intersection and pulled in front of the truck to stop it.
Orem police released a 37-second clip from that officer’s dash camera on Wednesday that shows what happened next.
The footage shows the driver make a come-here gesture toward the officer after he pulls in front of the truck at an intersection. In charging documents, prosecutors describe the hand motion as a taunt.
In the video, the officer can be seen in the left side of the frame after he exits his patrol vehicle. The driver accelerates forward — and the truck appears likely to have passed the officer — but the driver later turns the wheels toward the officer and the truck hits him. The officer starts firing at the truck, Giles said, as it struck him.
Giles said the officer had minor injuries, but is OK. He credits the officer’s “football stance,” in which he stiff-arms the truck to absorb the impact as he jumps out of the way, for preventing further injury.
Bencomo’s probable cause statement said the move was “a clear attempt to run [the officer] over."
Giles said that people may criticize the officer’s actions, asking why he fired shots at the truck instead of just trying to get out of the way. ”There’s not a lot of thought process that goes into that. That is a reaction of trying to save your life," Giles said.
Bencomo remains in Utah County jail without the option to post bond. Bencomo was charged with four felonies on Wednesday, including attempted murder of a police officer, assault against a police officer and failure to stop.
Giles said it’s unclear whether Jones could face any charges, noting the investigation is still “very active.”
He said, “The police department definitely expresses our sympathy to the passenger and to her family, and we hope and wish her a quick and speedy recovery.”
The Utah County Officer Involved Critical Incident team is looking into the officer’s use of force and will pass along the case to prosecutors to determine whether or not charges will be filed against him.
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