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Jill Atwood ReportingDeputy Brett Miller was responding to a domestic dispute call this morning when he came under fire from the suspect. Shotgun pellets hit the deputy Brett Miller in several different places, but tonight he is home and okay.
The deputy tried to pull the suspect over, next thing he knew he was hit in the head, chest and wrist. His bulletproof vest saved his life.
Shotgun casings on the ground and a windshield riddled with bullets help tell the story of two men shot in the early hours this morning. One was a deputy, now resting at home, the other a wanted felon, now sitting in jail.
Aaron Kennard, Sheriff, Salt Lake County: “The suspect was the aggressor. He attempted to run the deputy over. He got out of his vehicle shooting with a shotgun. The deputy returned fire.”
Guy West, Eyewitness: “It scared us all pretty bad. I didn’t know if shots were going to come through our house or what was going to happen.”
The call came in as a domestic dispute with an ID of the suspect. The deputy was able to stop 29-year old James Torres before he got to his ex-wife's house. That's when things got ugly.
Vanita Osborn, Eyewitness: “He was trying to get away and he was pulling the cop car with it because they were hooked together.”
Salt Lake County deputies say the suspect in this case has an extensive criminal history. James Torres had $30,000 dollars worth of warrants against him when Deputy Miller tried to arrest him last night.
He had also been booked into jail at least twice in just the last four months. The charges include receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, carrying a concealed weapon, and violation of a protective order.
Tonight Torres faces an attempted murder charge.
