SOUTH OGDEN, Utah -- Officers in South Ogden arrested a man who police described as a dangerous fugitive with a lengthy gang history, and the intense arrest was caught on camera.
The video above, edited for language, shows the dramatic arrest as it unfolded, and police said a search of the vehicle after the arrest turned up a loaded, stolen handgun on the floor near where the suspect was sitting.
Officials said there were four adults and five children in the vehicle that was stopped, which along with the presence of a known fugitive made the arrest a tense affair as those in the vehicle were shouting and the suspect was urging the driver to flee.
A South Ogden officer can be heard on the video saying things like, "I will f----- shoot you" as the situation unfolded and the suspect continued to resist arrest and disobey orders--according to police officials.
The officer also spoke to the suspect about resisting arrest while children were present. There were five children between the ages of 2 and 8 in the vehicle, and the officer made comments about the suspect's actions creating a dangerous situation for the children.
“...put the kids in danger like that, you are going to be charged with that too: felony child endangerment," the officer says during the video.
Chief Darrin Parke of the South Ogden Police Department described the incident shown in the dashboard camera footage.
“Officers made a traffic stop on a vehicle, as they were dealing with the driver on that they realized that there was a wanted fugitive in the backseat of the vehicle," he said. "They were familiar with the history of the person, and they realized there was a very high threat of danger to them and the other occupants of the vehicle. They began ordering the person in the backseat to put his hands up, which he would do temporarily and then lower his hands toward the floorboards of the vehicle. He has a very lengthy history of gang involvement and possessing firearms, so the concern was that he was reaching for a firearm.”
Parke said the suspect, 30-year-old Scott Sanders, was wanted on a charge relating to stolen firearms. He said Sanders is considered dangerous and officers had made finding him a priority in recent weeks.
Parke said the officer ordered the driver of the vehicle to stop the car, while the suspect was urging the driver to flee the scene. Parke said the officer attempted to remove the keys from the ignition, and the suspect intervened.
“The suspect jumped over the seat, grabbed on to the officer and then went back into the backseat again, hands down to the floor again," Parke said.
Parke said there were four adults and five children in the vehicle, which contributed to the chaotic, loud nature of the incident. Parke said the officers tried to use a Taser to subdue Sanders, but were not successful.
“The suspect ended up jumping out of the vehicle, a fight ensued,” Parke said. "…It was quite a fight, he did not stop fighting with the officers until they were able to overpower him and get him into handcuffs, that’s the only time he stopped fighting. “
Parke said the officer most involved with the traffic stop feared he was seconds away from being involved in a gunfight with the suspect. A weapon was found when the vehicle was searched.
“They did find a loaded, stolen handgun on the floorboards where he was reaching for,” Parke said. “It was a stolen handgun.”
The initial officer called for backup after realizing who was in the vehicle, and Parke said two officers were present for the majority of the altercation.
Parke said they often review such footage to find ways to improve tactically as well as to look at officers' use of force.
“A safe outcome, it could have been much worse, we can always improve on things, but we did succeed," Parke said. "Officers were injured, but nobody was hurt very seriously.”
