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Armed suspect surrenders to Summit County deputies

An armed man was taken into custody on Friday afternoon after a vehicle and foot chase led to a standoff with Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies in eastern Summit County.

Jared York, 27, who carried a Wyoming driver’s license, was booked into the Summit County Jail Friday evening on preliminary charges of aggravated assault against a peace officer, violating a protective order and failure to stop fleeing.

Aggravated assault against a peace officer, which is the most serious charge, is a second-degree felony, punishable by a prison sentence of between one and 15 years and a $10,000 fine upon conviction.

York and an unidentified female fled during a traffic stop on Interstate 84 at approximately 2:05 p.m. after deputies determined York had an active West Jordan warrant on charges of assault with serious bodily injury.

The suspects then led Morgan County deputies on a vehicle chase near the Summit County line, according to Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez. Morgan County deputies abandoned the pursuit at 2:12 p.m. as it got closer to Summit County.

Summit County deputies located the vehicle in Henefer at 2:42 p.m. and found the female passenger inside a store on Main Street.

A deputy spotted York as he ran behind the store at approximately 3:30 p.m., brandishing a handgun, Martinez said.

Deputies pursued the suspect for nearly a mile through wooded areas along the Weber River before he ducked behind a barn at 3:58 p.m., where he was confronted by two deputies.

Martinez said York pulled the gun from his waistband and pointed it at the deputies. Each of the deputies fired one shot at York. Neither hit him.

Martinez, who arrived at the scene as the situation unfolded, encountered the suspect in a wooded field and began negotiating with him.

The suspect dropped to his knees and performed the sign of the cross before pointing the gun at himself and threatening suicide, Martinez said.

"Those negotiations were extremely intense," Martinez said. "The individual put the weapon to his own head and chin multiple times. It was one of the most intense negotiations I’ve been involved with in a long time."

York eventually responded to Martinez after more than 10 minutes. He surrendered at 4:12 p.m.

"There is no way in the world this kid would still be alive if it wasn’t for the sheriff being in the right place at the right time," said Frank Smith, chief deputy with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. "The suspect was waving the gun all over the place. The sheriff took an incident that should have been very violent and diffused it.

"If it wasn’t for him being there, someone so seasoned and so grounded, it would have had a different outcome," Smith added. "The sheriff saved that young man’s life and he also saved all the trauma that comes with a deputy having to shoot someone."

Martinez said the Summit County Attorney’s Office is considering charges against the passenger for interfering with the investigation.

The two deputies involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, which is required when deputies fire on a suspect.

"I am very confident that this was a clean shoot and was legally justified," Martinez said.

The Sheriff’s Office is working with the county prosecutors in investigating the three crime scenes. The Park City Police Department is also assisting in the investigation at the request of the Sheriff’s Office.

Summit County


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