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SALT LAKE CITY — Officers arrested a known fugitive after the 44-year-old led police on a late-night chase from Riverton to Sandy Thursday, according to court documents.
Members of the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team were conducting surveillance on Cory Lee Bertelsen, a known fugitive, and saw him leave a house in Riverton in a green Thunderbird about 10 p.m. Thursday, according to court documents. Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens, and Bertelsen began to flee.
Bertelsen led officers on a lengthy pursuit from Riverton to Sandy before he hit a dip, disabling his car, and crashed into a fence, court documents state. He tried running away from his car but was soon apprehended by officers.
When police searched the vehicle, they found a white powdery substance in the trunk which tested positive for meth, court documents state. Officers also said they found a scale and baggies inside the car, as well as a knife. Bertelsen is prohibited from being in possession of a weapon because of his criminal history, according to the court documents.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, possession or use of a controlled substance, transaction of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and driving on a suspended or revoked license.
Bertelsen has a "lengthy criminal history of fleeing from law enforcement," according to court documents.
