WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — An Idaho man was taken into custody Wednesday morning following a pursuit after he was told to leave a West Valley City shelter, and then rammed his van into a police officer's vehicle.
Watch below as police hold briefing on West Valley City officer incident:
After 25-year-old Stephen Lopez was asked to leave the temporary shelter at 3300 South Redwood Road, he purposely rammed the stolen van into the vehicle of the officer who was working security at the shelter.
According to the West Valley City Police Department, the force of the collision pushed the officer's vehicle up and over a nearby embankment. With Lopez still in his van, the officer fired at him, but he was not hit and fled the scene.
After leading a short pursuit and hitting a large boulder, Lopez returned to the shelter parking area and was taken into custody and faces charges of Aggravated Assault, Motor Vehicle Theft and Failure to Stop.
Police said neither Lopez or the officer suffered any injuries.
Court documents obtained in the case reveal that during an interview with officers, Lopez allegedly kept hitting the walls and screaming. Investigators say that when Lopez finally talked to them, he admitted to them he had been "juiced up" and had used bath salts the night before.
Detectives say Lopez took the van used in the altercation and pursuit after he entered the van and, to his surprise, found the keys inside. When Lopez drove back to the shelter, he says something "told him" to hit the officer with the van.
The Salt Lake County Critical Incident Protocol Team will take over the investigation into the incident.
Steven Elias Lopez faces charges of aggravated assault, theft, failure to respond to officers' signals to stop, and failure to comply at a vehicle accident. He is being held without bail.
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