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KANAB — Criminal charges were filed Thursday against a man who police say was traveling over 100 mph and refused to pull over until he had crossed the state line into Arizona — then appeared to be "shocked" when told he would be booked into jail in Utah.
Christopher Michael Reed, 39, of Page, Arizona, is charged in 6th District Court with failing to stop at the command of police, a third-degree felony; DUI and reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor; and speeding, an infraction.
About 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a Kane County sheriff's deputy spotted a truck speeding on U.S. 89. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and waited for traffic to clear before turning around and pursuing the truck. By that time, the truck was going even faster, according to a police booking affidavit.
"When I approached the long straightaway to the Arizona border, I could see the vehicle again, however, it was traveling at a very high rate of speed. My radar showed 104 mph in the posted 65. I followed the vehicle (with) lights and sirens attempting to catch up to it for approximately three miles," the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit.
As soon as the truck crossed into Arizona, Reed slowed down and pulled over. The deputy noted that Reed was slurring his words, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and he had an odor of alcohol from his breath, the affidavit states.
The deputy checked with his supervisor who also checked with authorities in Arizona who said they did not have an officer available at that time to assist with the traffic stop. The deputy was told to continue with his DUI investigation.
When asked why he didn't pull over, Reed said he has relatives in Arizona who work in law enforcement, including in Page, and he was waiting for a "safe place" to pull over, according to the affidavit.
"I asked if he felt safer at this location because it was in Arizona, not Utah, and he stated, 'Yes,'" the deputy wrote.
Reed was taken to the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Wahweap Office where a breath test measured his blood-alcohol level at 0.199 percent, or nearly four times the legal limit in Utah.
The deputy was then given permission from Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Kane County sheriff and county attorney to transport Reed back to Utah to be booked into jail.
"Mr. Reed asked several questions about my authority to arrest him in Arizona and appeared shocked that I could. He also demanded that a Page Police Department officer be present while his vehicle was being loaded (onto a tow truck to be impounded). He stated that his vehicle was in Arizona so he did not understand why it was being taken to Utah," the affidavit says. "Mr. Reed stated several times that he wanted a Page officer to be present. I informed him that the proper officials had been notified and that Page (police) did not have jurisdiction there."
Reed "intentionally avoided pulling over until he was in Arizona in an attempt to escape the jurisdiction of the deputy," the charging documents state.
