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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who crashed into multiple police cars while trying to flee from police was not sent to prison, after a judge instead ordered him to complete the Correctional Addiction Treatment Services program at the jail and then be released into a residential drug treatment program where he will begin two years of probation.
Alexander Chance Ommundson was fleeing from police in Millcreek on Jan. 30 and hit one police officer and three police cars. The police chase began after the car, which was being driven by Ommundson's girlfriend, was pulled over for a tail light violation and Ommundson took control of the vehicle, leading to the robbery charge and a kidnapping charge that was dismissed as part of the plea deal. Ommundson at the time had a warrant out for his arrest.
Ommundson, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, a second-degree felony, plus assault against a peace officer and failure to stop at the command of police, third-degree felonies.
The 3rd District judge did not make his decision immediately, and decided instead to set a new hearing and take time to consider whether to send Ommundson to prison or give him a suspended prison sentence and the opportunity to receive drug treatment in jail and while on probation.
In the first part of the sentencing hearing on Aug. 26, deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Heather Lindsay asked the court to impose the prison sentence, citing that Ommundson almost ran over an officer while trying to leave the situation.
"This is a situation where ... the officer involved was in imminent fear of his life," Lindsay said.
She said the officer was not sure if he would be able to get out of the way, and has struggled with trauma since the incident. Lindsay said Ommundson put himself in a situation where people could have died.
Although Lindsay said officers were using every tactic they could to keep the public safe by blocking Ommundson in with cars, Ommundson's attorney, Erin Wilson, said police created the situation that led his client to run into the cars by placing their vehicles directly in his way in a way that did not give Ommundson a chance to react, forcing him to hit the cars.
Wilson claimed that the case is not really aggravated robbery — even though his client pleaded guilty to that charge — but is all about fleeing from police. He said Ommundson would have the best chance of success being placed in an in-patient drug program that is available at the jail.
Ommundson simply said he trusted the judge's decision and that he is currently eight months sober, and that time in jail helped him get there.
"I am sorry for the things that I've done, putting the public in risk and myself," Ommundson said.
The judge noted he was incredibly concerned that police officers' lives were at risk and asked Ommundson what would be different in his actions now if he did not go to prison, noting multiple previous probation violations. Ommundson said he would like the chance, and that these eight months have been the longest he has been sober in over 15 years.
"I feel good," Ommundson said.
After taking two weeks to consider the case, Judge Barry Lawrence said he would suspend the prison sentence if Ommundson completes the treatment he ordered both in and out of jail. Ommundson will be in jail for another 180 days for the drug program, in addition to the time he has already been in jail.
Lawrence warned Ommundson that if this doesn't work, he likely would go to prison if he violates the terms of this sentence and probation, saying this is the best chance he will have to turn his life around.
"We're sort of at the end of the line here, and I think it's going to be very difficult for you and your attorney to convince me not to send you to prison, so I would urge you to do everything that you can and to take this seriously," the judge said.
