Suspect arrested following pursuit running from Bluff to Sunset

Composite image with background stock photo; overlay stock image of St. George Police patrol units taken by Cody Blowers | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A short pursuit from Bluff to Sunset ended in the arrest of a Santa Clara man after multiple officers responded to a residence in the early morning hours on Friday.

In this 2021 file photo for illustrative purposes only St. George Police respond to an incident on 100 South and River Road, St. George, Dec. 17, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Shortly after 5 a.m., an officer patrolling on Bluff Street noticed a vehicle heading north at what they noted was a high rate of speed, according to charging documents filed with the court.

“I was traveling southbound and the vehicle was coming toward me,” the officer noted. “I estimated the vehicle to be traveling 80mph in a posted 45 mph zone.”

The officer deployed his radar gun, which confirmed the vehicle was going 79 mph. The officer made a U-turn and dropped in behind that car to conduct a traffic stop.

Instead of pulling over, the officer states, the suspect continued north without slowing down,. As the vehicle approached the 700 block of North Bluff Street, the driver slowed to 45 mph and activated his right-turn signal.

The car then turned left onto Sunset where it continued heading west with the officer in tow.

Shortly thereafter, according to the report, the suspect accelerated quickly leading the officer to believe the suspect was attempting to evade police. The pursuit was terminated for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, the plate was run through emergency dispatch and came back showing the registered owner lived in Santa Clara. The check also revealed that 41-year-old Derek Robert Cooper was recently stopped in the car in February for speeding.

Officers in Santa Clara responded to the suspect’s address, only to report that they did not see the vehicle.

Multiple officers then responded to the residence and learned that Cooper had arrived just minutes before. The suspect was seen driving the Infinity “that had been involved in an evading incident,” the officer wrote.

The officers went into the suspect’s room and placed him under arrest. The suspect, according to the report, appeared “very agitated” telling officers “all of this over a speeding ticket.” He attempted to pull away from police, officers said, but was ultimately placed in the patrol car and transported to jail.

He was booked into custody on one third-degree felony count for failing to stop at command of police, along with reckless driving, possession of marijuana, which was reportedly found during a search of the car, as well as possession of paraphernalia and interfering with an arrest.

The case was reviewed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office and instead of charging the defendant with felony evading, the suspect was charged with disorderly conduct – a misdemeanor.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact. 

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!