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WEST VALLEY CITY — An officer fell off the roof of a West Valley strip mall while trying to subdue a man who was allegedly fleeing from police early Tuesday.
The officer was hospitalized with minor injuries and released soon afterward, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku. The man who ran from police was also hospitalized as a precaution, and a second officer suffered scrapes and bruises during the confrontation, she said.
Police originally responded to a Shell gas station around 4 a.m. near 4000 West and 4100 South after receiving a call about a man who was loitering and being a nuisance. An officer spoke with the man, who allegedly gave him false information and ran off.
The man, later identified as Sergio Lopez Ramirez, 32, of West Valley City, reportedly ran several blocks west before entering a construction site. Ramirez broke windows and doors while trying to enter the building, Vainuku said.
Officers caught up with Ramirez after he allegedly ran from them again, this time to a nearby strip mall at 4974 W. 4100 South, and made his way to the roof of the building. There, he began tearing off pipes and other items from the roof, likely trying to get inside, and throwing them at officers, Vainuku said. Ramirez also threatened to throw a grenade at the officers, she said.
Police surrounded the strip mall, set up a ladder and moved multiple officers onto the roof. Ramirez charged at the officers, causing one of them to lose his balance and fall from the 10-foot-tall building, Vainuku said. Other officers needed to use pepper spray, a Taser and finally a baton to subdue Ramirez, she said.
Investigators said it's possible Ramirez was high on drugs, which could have influenced him to flee and then confront police, Vainuku said. He was booked Tuesday into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of making a threat of terrorism, three counts of assault against a police officer, criminal mischief, fleeing from police and disorderly conduct.
Ramirez pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor protective order violations in December 2014 in separate domestic violence-related cases. He also pleaded guilty at that time to assault against a police officer and attempted drug possession within a correctional facility, both misdemeanors.
Ramirez's criminal history additionally includes a conviction for misdemeanor reckless driving, Utah court records show.
