ST. GEORGE — A suspect wanted on an attempted murder warrant out of Nevada is in jail in Washington County following his arrest off of Old Dixie Highway 91 near the Shivwits reservation Monday — an encounter that left one Santa Clara-Ivins Police officer injured, according to police.
The suspect, 52-year-old Jamie Farmer, was arrested shortly before 3 p.m., near the parking lot of the Shivwits convenience store after officers were dispatched to a report indicating that Farmer had been dropped off at the store. The witness said they spotted the suspect as he was getting out of the car, Santa Clara-Ivins Police Sgt. Reed Briggs told St. George News.
The sighting took place two hours before the witness called it in, Briggs said, so when officers responded they were surprised to find Farmer still in the area and they called for assistance, which is when multiple police units responded to the scene, including a number of Washington County Sheriff’s deputies.
St. George News reached out to Lincoln County Sheriff Derek Foremaster, who said Farmer was wanted for attempted murder in connection with an incident reported on Jan. 20 involving an altercation between Farmer and an adult male that took place in Lincoln County. During the encounter, Foremaster said, the victim was injured when Farmer allegedly attacked him with a long-bladed knife and then fled from the scene. The incident was then reported to police.
He went on to say the investigation revealed that Farmer intended to cause serious bodily injury or possibly worse, based on witness reports and other evidence collected during the investigation. It was the suspect’s intent, he said, that formed the basis for the attempted murder charge.
When officers were unable to locate the suspect, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on the department’s Facebook page indicating that authorities were seeking information on the whereabouts of Farmer, who was last seen driving a teal blue Ford Explorer with Nevada plates. Authorities also asked for the public’s help in locating the suspect, who was considered to be “armed and dangerous.”
Following the stabbing, authorities in Nevada were unable to locate the suspect despite several large-scale searches that were conducted throughout the area, Foremaster said. Days later, they received word that Farmer may be in Southern Utah, which is when they reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. On Monday afternoon, his office was notified that Farmer was in custody.
During Monday’s encounter at the convenience store off of Old Dixie Highway 91, Briggs said Farmer became combative amid the chaos and was fighting with the officers, who had the suspect at gunpoint. It wasn’t until one of the officers deployed a taser that they were able to subdue the suspect, who was then taken into custody without further incident.
One of the Santa Clara-Ivins police officers on scene was injured during the struggle and was subsequently transported to St. George Regional Hospital for evaluation and treatment, Briggs said.
Washington County Sheriff Sgt. Lucas Alfred said when the call went out, several deputies responded to the scene and assisted with the arrest. From there, the case will be handled by the sheriff’s office, since they are working with authorities in Lincoln County to return Farmer to Nevada to answer to the charges there, once any local charges, if filed, are resolved.
The multiagency effort was also recognized by the Lincoln County Sheriff, who commended the officers and the agencies involved in Farmer’s capture — efforts that resulted in the arrest of a dangerous individual.
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers in Southern Utah, and for their efforts that resulted in a successful outcome with the suspect in custody,” Foremaster said.
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, 2023, all rights reserved.