Man critically injured in shootout with Salt Lake police moved to jail, faces 2 dozen charges

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ramon Rojas-Huerta, 44, was critically injured in a shootout with Salt Lake City police on June 30.
Rojas-Huerta no faces over two dozen criminal charges, including assault and illegal gun use.
Police say the incident involved a high-speed chase and exchange of gunfire with officers.

SALT LAKE CITY — A man critically injured in a shootout with police on the freeway is out of the hospital and has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on numerous charges.

Ramon Rojas-Huerta, 44, of West Valley City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with five counts of assault on an officer, a second-degree felony; causing property damage/destruction, two counts of aggravated assault, 12 counts of illegal shooting of a gun, failing to stop for an officer and unlawful control of a vehicle to commit a felony crime, all third-degree felonies; DUI, a class A misdemeanor; and causing property damage and reckless driving, class B misdemeanors.

On June 29, Rojas-Huerta allegedly fired multiple rounds at a tow truck driver near Redwood Road and North Temple while trying to tow his vehicle, according to charging documents.

"(The tow driver) explained to investigators that Rojas-Huerta approached him while the van was on the tow truck and was acting erratically. (He) said Rojas-Huerta was yelling and making odd statements about being from California," the charges state. "(As the driver) was preparing a receipt for Rojas-Huerta, the van started backing up quickly and struck the rear end of the tow truck. Rojas-Huerta then began to flee from the parking lot quickly and pulled out onto the roadway. Then Rojas-Huerta began firing a weapon from the moving van at (the tow truck driver)."

The tow truck driver followed Rojas-Huerta to the area of 4025 W. 1820 South until he pulled off into a gas station.

"While putting air in his truck's tire, (the driver) observed the suspect drive by and fire two more gunshots at him," the charges state.

A short time later, responding officers spotted Rojas-Huerta.

"Salt Lake Police officers pursued the suspect north on Bangerter Highway, where an exchange of gunfire, initiated by Rojas-Huerta, occurred between the suspect and the officers in the area of Bangerter Highway and California Avenue," according to the charges. Rojas-Huerta then tried to flee on I-80, where officers attempted to stop him using a PIT maneuver several times.

"The suspect eventually came to a stop, where one officer rammed their patrol vehicle into the back of the white van, and five officers discharged their weapons from their patrol vehicles. Two Salt Lake police vehicles were struck by gunfire during the pursuit. Seven shell cases were recovered on Bangerter," the charges state.

Rojas-Huerta was taken to a local hospital in critical condition to be treated for multiple gunshot wounds.

When investigators were able to question Rojas-Huerta, he "referred to the police as 'cartel police' or 'federal' and that they weren't real police but friends of the tow truck driver. Rojas-Huerta explained he fired several gunshots in the air towards the police vehicles to show them he could defend himself and get the police to back off," according to the charges.

No officers were injured. Three officers and two police sergeants were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an independent investigation by an officer-involved critical incident protocol team from West Jordan and the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is expected to release body camera videos of the incident either later this week or early next week.

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