Crime spree, police chase ends in suspect’s death

UPDATE 4:55 PM: Salt Lake City police have released the name of the suspect killed in today’s chase. Harold Vincent Robinson, 37, was killed in what authorities have deemed an “Officer Involved Critical Incident.”

Multiple officers from Salt Lake City Police, Utah Highway Patrol and the Unified Police Department were involved in the incident. OICI protocol was invoked per standard procedure, meaning all involved officers are on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation led by the West Valley City Police Department.

Robinson’s criminal record includes multiple assault charges, as well as an aggravated kidnapping charge in 2003.

SALT LAKE CITY — A suspect in a officer-involved shooting is dead after leading police on a chase down State Street, police say. A Unified Police officer suffered minor injuries from being hit by a bullet ricochet.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera says it is a miracle no one else was killed.

She says, “We have an officer who was injured from a ricochet.  He has very minor injuries at this time.”

There was an officer-involved critical situation in the area of State Street and 3300 where a police chase ended near the intersection, according to Unified Police.

Sheriff Rivera says there are multiple crime scenes for the police to review, including along State Street from 5oo S to 3300 S.

Drivers are encouraged to avoid that portion of State Street for the remainder of the day.

There are as many as fifteen different crime scenes in Salt Lake City, Taylorsville City, and Millcreek.

Rivera says the suspect was involved in armed robberies in Taylorsville City and Millcreek on Monday.

The first robbery occurred at Holiday Oil near 5400 S 3200 W at 10:06 a.m, Rivera says.

“Just after 10, we received a call from the Holiday Oil in Taylorsville, that there was an armed robbery.  Around 10:37, we got another call of an armed robbery at the 7/11 on 900 East,” Rivera says.

 

Police confirm the suspect involved in a police chase on Salt Lake City streets was using a rifle to shoot. One witness says a man got out of a white truck on 500 South and began shooting east. Then drove away. pic.twitter.com/9h3C7XFrMA

— Heather Kelly (@KSLHeatherKelly) April 8, 2019

Police believe the suspect then robbed a 7-11 on 3300 S and 900 E at 10:37 a.m.

Criminal activity continued in downtown Salt Lake City at 10:42 a.m when shots were heard near the Sheraton Hotel. Witnesses in the area of Sheraton Hotel and the Matheson Courthouse reported hearing shots fired.

The suspect fired a gun at the Sheraton then drove away.

There are bullet casings and broken glass on the ground at the Sheraton.

The suspect was driving a white Ford pickup truck.

The police began to pursue the suspect southbound on State Street.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown says, “As the suspect was driving southbound on State Street, he was leaning out of the window firing a rifle in the direction of our officers.”

Officers do have the authority to decide to stop pursuing a suspect if the chase is too dangerous, but, Brown says the suspect’s decision to open fire forced their hand, and several different agencies joined in the pursuit.

“Armed with a rifle and firing it indiscriminately through the city?  Horrific,” Brown says.

UDOT traffic cameras captured the police chase.

The suspect appeared to drive erratically, swerving on the road where there were no nearby cars.

The suspect also appeared to slow down in areas to avoid hitting any pedestrians.

A witness told KSL TV that he saw the suspect reach outside of his truck with an AR-15 and fire shots. The witness compared it the sound of multiple firecrackers being fired.

Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown confirms that the suspect fired multiple shots indiscriminately while leaning out the window in several spots along the chase route. He says this made the chase too dangerous to call off.

Brown says the suspect was reported to be shooting at officers from his truck as he sped down State Street.

Witness Ryan Bowen saw the chase pass his work then saw a police car T-bone the truck. Then Bowen heard about 30 shots fired.

The police chase ended near the intersection of State Street and 3300 S.

The suspect allegedly crashed into Princess Alterations, located at 3339 S State Street, at 11:15 a.m.

It has not been confirmed when the suspect died, nor how the man died. Police do say he was shot.

Online video shows the truck surrounded by police officers after the truck hit the store. The video shows the truck being hit about a hundred times with police gunfire.

Video shows that police cars were damaged during the chase.

Several police cars and a fire truck came onto the scene.

Police ask that anyone with additional information to contact police.

This story will be updated.