Man intentionally backs into police officers during traffic stop, police say

UTAH COUNTY, Utah — A known suspect in car thefts and drug use by local police allegedly tried to ram officers with a stolen car Saturday evening.

According to the affidavits, 22-year-old Jordan Lonnie Forbes was in a black Chevrolet Malibu parked at the business when patrolling Springville police officer check the car’s plates.

The search stated that the vehicle was stolen, and the officer noticed one man, later identified as Forbes, was in the car. The officer requested backup as he watched Forbes without being seen.

When additional officers arrived, they surrounded the stolen Chevrolet in marked and unmarked police cars, according to the affidavits. They commanded Forbes to show his hands and stop.

“Forbes looked at me, in full patrol uniform, and negligently put his vehicle in reverse, refusing to comply and impeding his arrest,” states the affidavit.

Two officers opened the driver’s door and attempted to pull Forbes out of the stolen car while the car was accelerating backward. The car backed into an unmarked police car, damaging both vehicles. After the struggle, police were able to place Forbes into custody without further issue.

Officers searched the stolen car and found a dark tar-like substance that was field tested as heroin. Forbes also exhibited signs of drug usage with slurred speech, droopy eyelids, poor balance, and multiple track marks on his arm.

While in custody, police said Forbes claimed that he had swallowed heroin and methamphetamine to prevent officers from finding it in his possession.

“Forbes is known to police officers, and has admitted previously to law enforcement that he lies about swallowing narcotics in order to delay and prevent punishment, therefore obstructing a criminal investigation,” the affidavit states.

The arresting officer noted that this was the third time in five months that police found Forbes in a stolen car, and he escapes from police custody while at the hospital to be medically cleared. One incidence of this was Jan. 13, when officers found Forbes with another suspect in a car theft case in Orem, Utah.

While in police custody, the second suspect told officers that Forbes “continually claims he swallows drugs when he gets arrested, and the jail always refuses to take (him),” according to the affidavit. “He’s done it numerous times and waits until the officers leave and (Forbes) then breaks out of the hospital.”

During the Jan. 13 arrest, police left Forbes in the care of the hospital with an officer, but he escaped when police returned to book him into jail.

In Saturday’s arrest, police were able to book Forbes into the Utah County Jail without further issue.

Forbes is facing felony charges of:

• two counts of assault on a police officer with the use of a dangerous weapon,
• failing to stop at the command of police,
• obstruction of justice,
• a pattern of unlawful activity,
• possession of a controlled substance,
• receiving a stolen vehicle,
• unlawful possession of a financial card without consent
• and criminal mischief.

He was also booked for nine other misdemeanor charges.