SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill will not file charges against officers from Taylorsville and West Valley City police departments who were involved in an arrest in mid-March, 2022. The case involved officers who were trailing a driver suspected to be in a stolen car. The driver eventually crashed the car.

The driver died from injuries sustained in the crash.

In a statement, Gill said that his office did not believe the incident was an officer-involved critical incident. As such, Gill said the death and bodily injury sustained by the suspects did not result from the conduct of the officers.

The announcement on Friday involves an incident from March 17, 2022. Two police departments were involved in a vehicle pursuit that resulted in the death of one of the vehicle occupants.

Details from the crash and the police involvement

According to the DAs office, Taylorsville police officers with help from a helicopter from the Department of Public Safety were trailing a car they believed to be stolen. This began in the area of Bennion Road and mantle Avenue (approximately 1905 West and 4230 South.)

The Salt Lake County DA’s office said the police determined there would be no pursuit, and that instead they would rely on the helicopter to keep tabs on the suspect.

When the car stopped at the Boulder Pines Apartments (at 4040 South 1535 West) in West Valley City, the DA said the officers planned to stop the car after they’d set up spike strips to disable the car, should the driver attempt to flee.

The DA’s office said the driver did attempt to flee once police tried to pull him over and at that point, officers laid another spike strip.

The driver again tried to flee from the police despite having disabled tires. Police said the driver crashed into a large power pole at 1175 West Atherton Drive (44370 S) while driving about 38 mph.

When they approached the disabled car, officers began providing assistance to the driver and the occupant.  The crash injured both men.

The driver was hospitalized and died of his injuries. Police identified the driver as Jeremy Arthur Lettow. 

Police said that a hospital toxicology report showed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine in Lettow’s blood.

Related reading:

• Officer-involved shooting kills one, sends officer to hospital
• SLCPD releases body-cam footage of officer-involved shooting in July
• Man killed in officer-involved shooting near Utah/Arizona border

 

 

 

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