Salt Lake man known for fleeing from police, avoids prison time
May 20, 2025, 2:00 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — A man who fled from police three times and assaulted a police officer with a knife avoided time at the Utah State Prison after causing a county-wide chase in January, according to court documents.
On Jan. 17, Unified police discovered a reported stolen vehicle parked near 900 E. 7200 S. According to a police affidavit, Leonard Clark, 30, was driving the car.
In footage provided by the Department of Public Safety, police called for the assistance of a DPS helicopter to help arrest Clark because of his history of fleeing from police.
Court documents showed Clark fled from police in 2021 and twice in August of 2024. Clark also assaulted a Salt Lake City police officer in 2019 with a knife outside a gas station.
DPS footage showed Clark entering the stolen car and driving it to the area of Lester Ave and Jefferson Street, where spikes were laid out by police.
According to the affidavit, the spikes deflated Clark’s tires and police attempted to arrest him, but he fled in the car at high speeds.
Police spiking the car Leonard Clark was driving before he began to flee again. (The Department of Public Safety)
Footage showed Clark fleeing from multiple police agencies as he drove through Sandy, South Salt Lake, and Murray for approximately 30 minutes.
While fleeing, the DPS chopper caught Clark nearly hitting several cars, driving through an occupied parking lot, and entering opposite lanes of traffic.
Eventually, Clark stopped his car near 8570 S. 700 E. and attempted to flee on foot, but he was arrested after a K-9 unit was able to apprehend him, according to the affidavit.
During the chase, UPD reported that a bystander accidentally crashed into one of its patrol cars during the chase.
A chase for a stolen vehicle led to a car wreck Friday night involving a patrol cruiser. (Courtesy Nathan Riser)
According to court documents, Clark was charged with receiving a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony, failing to stop at the command of police and interfering with a police animal, both third-degree felonies.
Clark was also charged with felony and misdemeanor charges of fleeing from police in August of 2024.
Court documents stated that Clark pleaded guilty to one of the third-degree felony charges from August, and the second-degree felony charge of failing to stop at the command of police and the third-degree failing to stop at the command of police from January. The rest of the charges were dismissed with prejudice.
On May 5, Clark was sentenced to an “indeterminate term to exceed five years in the Utah State Prison,” but each term was suspended, according to court documents.
Clark was also sentenced to 40 days in the Salt Lake County Jail and placed on 72-month probation.
