By Police1 Staff
SPANISH FORK, Utah — Utah police released intense video of a suspect shooting multiple rounds at officers during a pursuit.
KSL reports that more than 75 shots were exchanged between the suspect, 37-year-old Arturo Gallemore-Jimenez, and Utah County Sheriff’s deputies during a Dec. 20 pursuit. Three shots came from the suspect.
The incident began when Gallemore-Jimenez became angry after locking his keys in his pickup truck and broke into his car by shooting out a window. Police later spotted the vehicle and ordered Gallemore-Jimenez, who they knew had a gun, to put his hands out the window.
Moments later, Gallemore-Jimenez began firing at the five officers. More than 50 shots were exchanged after the officers returned fire.
A 21-year-old man who was parked off the side of the freeway was hit in the shoulder either by an errant shot or by a fragment that ricocheted, Tracy said. His injuries were no considered life-threatening.
A vehicle carrying a family, including four children, was also hit. A bullet went through the vehicle’s back window, narrowly missing a 4-year-old boy in a car seat. No one in the vehicle was injured, police said.
After the exchange, the suspect continued driving on the highway at slower speeds because two of his tires were shot out.
Police kept their distance from the suspect during the pursuit as they planned their next move. But as Gallemore-Jimenez began approaching a highly populated area, a veteran member of the sheriff’s SWAT team sped ahead of the suspect, got out of his vehicle and armed himself with a rifle.
Sheriff Jim Tracy said police would have waited for an armored vehicle to perform a PIT maneuver. But since the suspect was headed toward a highly populated area and proved he was dangerous, the deputy became the last line of defense.
“He was going to use a weapon to get away from everything and anything that was bothering him,” Tracy said. “We’re not going to let someone who we have already witnessed an attempted murder, go into the public and be lost from our chase. There’s no way we’re going to let that individual get past that point.”
The deputy fired 27 rounds at Gallemore-Jimenez’s passing vehicle, shooting the suspect in the arm and grazing him in the neck. Gallemore-Jimenez crashed into a fence off the side of the road moments later.
Gallemore-Jimenez was soon taken into custody and transported to a hospital. Police found “multiple firearms” in the man’s truck and learned that he was wearing body armor.
After his arrest, Gallemore-Jimenez told police that he was prepared to die and was going to shoot any officer approaching him.
Gallemore-Jimenez faces a slew of charges, including three counts of attempted aggravated murder.
Despite the amount of gunfire exchanged, none of the bullets from the suspect struck any officer or law enforcement vehicle.
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