Suspect attempts to hit Ogden officers during a traffic stop, police say
Apr 25, 2022, 10:17 AM | Updated: Jun 20, 2022, 1:55 pm
FILE PHOTO (Deseret News)
(Deseret News)
OGDEN, Utah — Ogden police officers were nearly hit by a driver who refused to cooperate during a traffic stop, according to arresting documents.
According to the probable cause statement, three Ogden Metro Gang detectives pulled over 40-year-old Christopher Chestnut on Sunday morning at a Kwick Shop Convenience Store & Vape near 800 25th Street after their system showed the vehicle had no insurance. Chestnut is the owner of the store.
When police asked for ID and proof of insurance, Chestnut at first refused and started to claim that he didn’t have it on him. He also started to record police on his phone.
The three detectives then told Chestnut a K-9 officer was arriving and they would like him to set his car in park. According to court documents, Chestnut started to act nervously by holding a black satchel closer to him and shifting his car into gear.
One of the detectives told him to not leave and attempted to open the passenger door, but it was locked.
Police said Chestnut then drove the car in reverse, almost hitting the three detectives and striking the front of a police vehicle, “causing significant damage to the front end.”
Detectives said Chestnut tried to drive out of the parking lot and almost pinned a detective between a fence and a dumpster while hitting a second police car.
Chestnut also hit a parked car in the parking lot.
“His actions could have easily injured or killed” one of the officers or “the occupant of the second vehicle,” police said. “His actions did cause significant damage to several vehicles and the fence of the local business.”
Chestnut fled the scene on foot before he got into a nearby car and drove away before abandoning the second car on 26th Street and Adams Ave.
Police said officers searched for Chestnut but did not locate him before they received info on his possible location at a residence.
When police arrived, a woman answered the door and told them that Chestnut was hiding in the basement with the woman’s child.
According to court documents, police asked Chestnut to exit the home, and he eventually did by himself.
When officers tried to arrest Chestnut, they said he resisted and did not let them handcuff him, before he was finally taken into custody.
Court documents say police began to search the basement where they found the satchel, but it was empty. After searching more, they found two bags of suspected heroin, a pill containing suspected fentanyl and two handgun magazines.
Chestnut refused to answer questions and asked for a lawyer.
Police had a subsequent search warrant issued for Chestnut’s home and found two large bags of vacuumed sealed marijuana, sheets of marijuana dab and a large amount of U.S. dollar bills.
In the first car that Chestnut drove, he left a handgun underneath the driver seat that matches the magazines found in the woman’s basement, court documents said.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
Chestnut was booked into the Weber County Jail on the following charges:
- Assault Against Peace Officer or Military with Weapon or Force (x2)
- Transaction Of Firearm by Class I Restricted Person
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance (x3)
- Fail To Stop or Respond at Command of Police
- Aggravated Assault
- Criminal Mischief — Loss $1,500 – $5,000
- Failure To Remain at Scene of Accident – Damage Only
- Operating Vehicle Without Insurance
- Interference with Arresting Officer
