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DRAPER — A parole fugitive led police on a chase through Cottonwood Heights and Draper, then almost escaped in a cop car before officers were able to stop the vehicle early Friday morning, officials said.
Kent Cody Barlow, 23, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of 16 charges, including receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, reckless endangerment, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, jail records show.
Shortly before midnight, a Cottonwood Heights police unit began pursuing a man on a motorcycle who was driving toward Draper. Police ended the chase at the city border near 10600 South and 1300 East but asked Draper officers to assist in a search of the area, Draper Police Sgt. Jordan Upchurch said.
A Draper officer spotted the man on his motorcycle not long after, and the man got off and ran away on foot. The officer followed, but the man was able to double back around and drive off in the officer's patrol vehicle, Upchurch said.
Officers pursued the car, and the man ran several red lights and crashed through a fence near 11600 S. 700 East in Draper. Police were eventually able to spike the vehicle's tires, but the man continued to drive with two flat tires, according to jail records. He attempted to turn but lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a set of mailboxes at 7565 S. 700 East.
The man then got out of the car and initially cooperated with officers, but attempted to pull away when they tried to put him in handcuffs, jail records state.
Barlow was eventually taken into custody, and officers discovered he was a convicted felon on parole with several outstanding warrants for his arrest, jail records claim.
An AR-15 rifle and a Glock pistol were in the cop car when the man stole the vehicle, but he did not access or use them, police said.
Police discovered, however, that the motorcycle involved in the chase was stolen out of South Jordan. A black backpack the man had abandoned with the motorcycle contained several items of drug paraphernalia, substances that appeared to be meth and heroin and tools commonly used in burglary, jail records show.
