- Steven Elias Lopez, 35, was arrested in West Valley City after allegedly ramming a police car.
- Lopez admitted to being on bath salts and believed an officer had three faces, according to police.
- Unified police are investigating the police shooting.
WEST VALLEY CITY — The man arrested and accused of ramming a police car — prompting an officer to fire at least one shot at him — allegedly told investigators that he was "juiced up" on bath salts and thought the officer had three faces.
Steven Elias Lopez, 35, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault, failure to stop for police, theft of a motor vehicle and causing a crash.
About 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Lopez was asked to leave the Switchpoint Overflow shelter, 3380 S. Redwood, for an unknown reason. Lopez walked to the area of 2851 S. Redwood Road, where he found an opportunity to steal a full-size Chevy utility van from an auto shop, according to a police booking affidavit.
"He said he had entered the van and was surprised to see the keys were in there. After taking the van, he drove back to the shelter," the affidavit states.
After returning to the shelter, Lopez spotted two police officers in uniform sitting in unmarked vehicles in the parking lot.
"While looking at one of the officers, he said the officer appeared to have three faces and was wearing a mask. He said something told him to 'hit him.' Steven said he rammed the van into the officer's vehicle. He then fled the scene and stated he was 'freaking out,'" according to the affidavit.
The officer who was hit from behind was pushed over an embankment, police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku said. After he was hit, "the officer fired at the suspect's vehicle," police said. It was not immediately known how many shots were fired. The suspect was not hit, but Vainuku did not know on Wednesday if his van was hit or where the officer's shot, or shots, ended up.
After Lopez drove off, the second officer chased after him. But Lopez drove down a dead-end street and was forced to turn around. As he drove back toward the shelter parking lot, he "crashed into a rock and lost his front wheel/tire," the affidavit states. He was taken into custody at that point. Neither the officer nor the man was injured.
The Unified Police Department will investigate the police shooting.
Lopez was taken to the Unified Police Department for questioning. Police noted that while he was waiting in the interview room, he "was screaming and hitting the walls. Steven Lopez seemed to be under the influence of drugs," according to the affidavit. "Lopez admitted to investigators that he had 'juiced up' and that he had used bath salts last night."
West Valley police say Lopez has ties to Idaho and Arizona and have requested that he remain in jail without the possibility of posting bail pending the filing of formal charges.
Correction: The incident happened at the Switchpoint Overflow shelter. An earlier version incorrectly stated it was at the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center.
