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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who allegedly bragged to friends about shooting at a Utah Highway Patrol trooper on Friday was arrested Monday following a chase with police.
Damion Williams, 25, of Taylorsville, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted aggravated murder, felony evading, three counts of aggravated kidnapping, removing the serial number from a gun, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle.
On Friday, a UHP trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle that was driving recklessly on I-215. As the vehicle passed the 3500 South on-ramp, the driver made a U-turn and drove the wrong direction down the on-ramp. The woman who was driving pulled over a short time later, got out of the car and ran.
What the trooper didn't know was that a second vehicle had been following the pursuit. That vehicle also drove the wrong way down the on-ramp and stopped between the UHP car and the first vehicle, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report.
The woman tried to run to the second car, according to the report, but the trooper tackled her before she could get there. While he was on the ground attempting to put handcuffs on her, the driver of the second vehicle fired a single shot at the trooper that he heard "whiz past his head," according to investigators. That driver then fled the scene. The trooper was shaken but otherwise uninjured.
Stacy Lynn Allen, 42, was arrested for investigation of a number of charges including fleeing, possession of a stolen vehicle, drug possession, DUI, interfering with an arrest and assault on a police officer.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Allen's cellphone and found intimate photos, videos and texts with someone listed in her contact as "My baby" who also went by the name "Qwik," the report states.
The three passengers were cooperative. All three occupants explained Williams bragged about shooting at the trooper on Friday. He also bragged about robbing a West Valley 7-11.
–UHP trooper statement
When detectives later found the second vehicle, which was abandoned, they found a box of ammunition inside, the report states.
On Monday, based on information from the cellphone, the Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit gathered information that Williams may be involved and went looking for him. They spotted him near 1175 West and 4300 South and a chase ensued. The chase lasted about four minutes and ended near 4500 South and 500 East when the fleeing vehicle crashed into three other cars, according to the UHP. No one was injured.
Williams and another man ran from the vehicle. Two others stayed inside the car. Police ran after both men and captured them a short time later. A handgun was found in Williams' pocket when officers arrested him, according to the UHP. The gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, the report states.
All four car occupants were taken into custody for questioning. After initially refusing to speak to investigators, Williams told them "he was trying to scare the trooper" when he shot at him Friday, according to the UHP.
"The three passengers were cooperative. All three occupants explained Williams bragged about shooting at the trooper on Friday. He also bragged about robbing a West Valley 7-11," UHP troopers wrote in a statement.
Williams told the three passengers, "I was trying to kill that (expletive deleted)," according to the report.
Investigators determined the three others were not willing participants in the chase on Monday. One man told police that Williams had approached him while holding a gun at Valley Fair Mall and told him to "scoot over," the report states.
Williams, who also goes by the street monikers Qwik and Little Brother, also had a warrant issued for his arrest on Dec. 2 for failing to comply with the conditions of his probation. He was convicted in December of 2013 of felony joyriding/unauthorized control of a vehicle for an extended period of time after police found a stolen car and determined he had used it to ride to Wendover, according to court records. Williams was sentenced to several months in jail for that incident.
In July, he was convicted of felony attempted burglary and theft. But Williams failed to show up for sentencing and another arrest warrant was issued on Sept. 30, according to court records. In 2008, Williams was convicted of theft, drug possession and joyriding/unauthorized control and theft by receiving stolen property in three separate cases.
Williams was also convicted in 2008 for felony fleeing. He was originally given probation but was sent to prison after violating the terms of his probation. In 2009, he was sentenced to up to five years in prison for convictions of felony fleeing and wrongful appropriation.
According to Utah State Prison officials, Williams was sent to prison in December of 2009 for violating probation. He was paroled in April of 2011 and returned to prison about a year later for parle violation. Williams' prison term was terminated in October of 2013. He was placed on felony probation again in May.
