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KEARNS — A man shot in the arm by police has been released from the hospital, booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and now faces criminal charges.
Damian Scott Huth, 20, of Kearns, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with escape, a third-degree felony. His wife, Kelli Rachelle Huth, 18, is listed as a co-defendant. She was also charged separately last week with obstructing justice, a third-degree felony, and assaulting a police officer, a class A misdemeanor, and remained in jail Monday.
On Wednesday, a Unified police officer looking for Damian Huth because of outstanding warrants pulled over a vehicle carrying Huth as a passenger near 5800 West and 6200 South.
As the officer pulled Huth out of the car, he "struggled" with the officer "and they fell to the ground," the charging documents state.
While the officer was trying to take Huth into custody, Kelli Huth got out of the car and jumped on the officer's back and pulled the officer off her husband, allowing him to run away, according to the charges.
Another officer, Unified police detective Cordell Whitmore, an eight-year veteran with the department who previously worked for the Davis County Sheriff's Office, ran after him.
Both men scaled a fence with barbed wire on top. Whitmore became entangled in the barbed wire and suffered injuries to his hands and stomach.
At some point during that chase, Whitmore fired a single shot, hitting Huth once in the shoulder.
Detectives did not recover any weapon from Huth. Investigators have not yet said what circumstances prompted Whitmore to shoot.
Related:
Layton man shot by police expected to be released from hospital
A Layton man shot in the shoulder by a Unified police officer Wednesday was expected to be released from the hospital, possibly as soon as Friday night, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.The Salt Lake City Police Department is conducting the investigation into the shooting.
Huth was charged in 2014 with two counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, for getting into a fight with his sister and father, according to charging documents. He later pleaded guilty to reduced class A misdemeanor charges. On Sept. 6, a no bail warrant was issued for his arrest for failing to comply with the conditions of his probation.
Court documents filed on Aug. 2 said Damian Hutch admitted to a probation officer "using heroin he obtained at the Road Home" and that he was "fearful his drug use was starting to get out of control."
The officer noted in the report that Huth had struggled while on probation and that he lacked motivation, was not accountable for his actions and did not follow through with instructions given to him by probation officers.
Huth was also convicted of shoplifting in 2015. He was charged Aug. 23 with misdemeanor drug possession. A warrant for that case was issued on Sept. 26 for failing to show up for court.
