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Gene Kennedy ReportingAn attempt to pull over a wanted suspect in Ogden turns into an early morning gun fight with police.
The whole thing started as a huge coincidence.
The Ogden gang unit had been looking for another suspect, one of Ogden's most wanted. Officers were on a stakeout at 2:40 am, parked outside a home. While they were there, another man they'd been looking for drove up. They say it was 40-year-old Howard Bradley Nelson.
Randy Watt/Asst. Police Chief, Ogden PD: "Yesterday during the day he was the suspect in an aggravated assault here in Ogden, where he pistol whipped the victim. While striking the victim with his pistol, the weapon went off. He was being sought for that, but his location was unknown. It happened to be fortuitous for us that he pulled up at this location."
So police got lucky. They say Nelson left the house and was driving erratically. They tried to pull him over but he refused and took off. It was a short chase, and not at high speeds. He led them to the Days Inn.
Once officers got into the parking lot, they say Nelson got out of his car and immediately opened fire on them, firing multiple rounds. Officers returned fire, and hit Nelson in the shoulder. He was treated at a hospital and now is in the Weber County jail facing two counts of attempted murder for shooting at the police.
Investigators are very glad to have him off the streets. They say he has an extensive criminal background, with some crimes in the Ogden area, some in Salt Lake, and some in Idaho. His crimes have involved drugs and crimes of violence, drive by shootings, according to police.
Nelson was released from prison last November and if convicted on the attempted murder charges he likely will return there.
The officers involved in the shooting are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for police involved in a shooting.
Police say he's been involved in drug crimes and drive by shootings from Ogden to Salt Lake City.
The manager at the Days Inn said Nelson was not a registered guest there. Police still don't know why he was there.
