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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of stealing a police vehicle, shooting a man during an attempted carjacking and getting into a shootout with law enforcers, which led to a large manhunt in Juab County, now faces federal charges.
A criminal complaint was filed Thursday against James Howard Klein, 33, in U.S. District Court of Utah, accusing Klein of seven drug- and firearms-related crimes.
On May 19, Klein and Jennifer Huang, 43, both from Minnesota, were pulled over on I-15 near the Juab-Millard County line for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers suspected possible drug activity, according to charging documents.
Klein was asked to step out of his car and wait in the passenger seat of a Juab County sheriff's deputy's patrol SUV. Just as the deputy was getting ready to search Klein's car, Klein got into the driver's seat of the police vehicle and sped away, the charges state.
Klein then drove to the exit for Yuba Lake, but took the turn at the top of the ramp too fast and went off the road, according to the charges. The police vehicle was stuck at that point. Utah Highway Patrol troopers pursuing Klein got to the end of the off-ramp, about 50 to 100 feet away, when Klein grabbed a police rifle that was in the vehicle and "began to shoot at the UHP officers. UHP troopers engaged Klein and returned fire with their weapons. Klein shot numerous times at the UHP troopers and hit at least one of their UHP trooper vehicles," the charges state.
While this was happening, a couple in an SUV returning from Yuba Lake were attempting to get onto I-15 when they approached Klein. The couple later told police they saw the stuck police vehicle with its emergency lights still flashing and slowed down thinking Klein needed help.
Klein flagged the couple down and then threatened them at gunpoint, according to the charges.
"Klein stuck the barrel of the rifle inside the front passenger window and pointed the rifle barrel at the driver's head. Klein stated to the vehicle occupants that he would shoot them if they didn't give him a ride," the charges state.
The passenger reacted by grabbing the barrel of the rifle and pushing it away from his wife, who as driving. A shot was fired into the dashboard during the struggle, according to the charges, causing the airbags to deploy.
The SUV stopped running at that point. Klein "opened the door of the vehicle, again demanding a ride and stating he would shoot the driver and passenger if they did not comply," the charges state.
The driver attempted to re-start her vehicle and was successful. She began to speed away, prompting Klein to fire more shots at the vehicle, according to the charges. One of those shots hit the man in the passenger seat, in the leg.
"The bullet caused significant damage to (the man's) leg, and once they were safely away, medical personnel had to apply quick-clot powder and a tourniquet to his right leg and transport him to a hospital to repair the damage. Klein also shot another round into the white Ford Escape as it drove away, which entered the vehicle and struck right behind the driver's headrest, fragmenting," charging documents state.
After the couple drove off, Klein "continued to engage the UHP troopers in a gun battle for several minutes," the charges state. During the shootout, Klein was hit in the leg. But even after being injured, he crawled under the police SUV and continued to shoot at troopers.
The injured Klein then attempted to escape by going down an embankment and following a culvert toward the Sevier River.
Officers from numerous agencies responded to the area to track down the alleged fugitive. Klein was found near the river, covered in mud that he used to try and conceal himself. He was arrested without further incident.
In the trunk of the vehicle Klein was driving when he was initially pulled over, police found approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine, according to the charges. Charges also say that a gun reported stolen out of Florida was found in the glovebox.
Klein, of Stillwater, Minnesota, is also charged in Juab County's 4th District Court with four counts of attempted aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and one count of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies; two counts of theft, a second-degree felony; two counts of possession of a firearm by a restricted person and failing to stop at the command of police, both third-degree felonies; and, altering the serial number on a gun, a class A misdemeanor.
Huang, 43, of Roseville, Minnesota, is charged in state court with drug possession with intent to distribute, a second-degree felony; possession of a gun by a restricted person and drug possession within a correctional facility, both third-degree felonies; altering the serial number on a gun, a class A misdemeanor; marijuana possession, a class B misdemeanor; and, giving false ID to a police officer, a class C misdemeanor.
The violent incident in Juab County happened while Klein was on pre-trial release on a separate case in Minnesota.
In March 2020, he was charged with assault and using deadly force against a police officer for an alleged incident in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. In that case, police were attempting to question Klein in a shoplifting investigation at a Walmart, when Klein and officers exchanged shots in the parking lot, according to the charges. Klein was shot and taken into custody.
In 2013, Klein was convicted on drug trafficking and firearms charges and served 6 1/2 years in prison, according to court documents.
