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SALT LAKE CITY — A man with federal warrants out for his arrest was caught when an officer spotted a stolen car with four people inside.
About 10:15 p.m. Monday, the officer started following the car near 3300 South and 900 East. A computer check of the car's license plate indicated it was stolen.
"The officer followed them in a circle for a ways before he tried to initiate a traffic stop," said Lt. Steve Shreeve of the Unified Police Department. "They had already decided that the officer following made them uncomfortable and they fled."
Lt. Shreeve said the officer gave a short chase before backing off. A few blocks down the road, all four people inside the car -- three men and one woman -- jumped out. The car then rolled through a wire fence.
Police quickly captured three of the people. Two of them were arrested for fleeing. The woman was released. A police dog sniffed out the fourth suspect about 30 minutes later.
The driver, Daniel Lemons, 30, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for fleeing police and having a stolen car. Police also discovered he had a federal warrant out for his arrest for drug violations.
Criminal History
According to court records, Lemons was caught shoplifting at a Wal-Mart, 3180 S. 5600 West, in January. During his arrest, Lemons allegedly resisted officers and kept reaching for something in his waistband. Officers used a Taser to bring Lemons under control. They then found a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his waistband where he was reaching, according to court documents.
In 2011, Lemons was charged and convicted in 1st District Court of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, endangerment of a child and several counts of drug possession. According to court records, Lemons attacked another man with a pick-ax. Witnesses told police he also "appeared to be hallucinating and speaking to some invisible persons" during the attack. When he was arrested, he laid on the ground with his arms spread out and screamed loudly as police approached him. He later said he had consumed LSD, methamphetamine, Ecstasy and marijuana. Lemons was sentenced to one year in the Cache County Jail.
Contributing: Pat Reavy
