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WEST VALLEY CITY — West Valley police arrested three people early Tuesday after officers say a driver rammed a patrol car and led officers on a brief chase.
About 12:40 a.m., a West Valley officer attempted to make a traffic stop near 5200 West and 4400 South. The driver, however, "blacked out the lights on the vehicle and fled into a neighborhood," a Salt Lake County Jail report states.
As the officer pursued the fleeing vehicle, he stopped his patrol car at the entrance of a cul-de-sac the fleeing suspect had entered.
"I was about to get out, when (suspect) floored it towards my patrol vehicle striking the front driver corner bumper and proceeded to flee. (The suspect) stalled out a short time later and I got out of my patrol vehicle and pointed my gun at him giving him commands to stop and get out," the report states.
But the driver got the vehicle unstuck from the snow and continued on, police say. The chase came to an end on a canal road when the driver stopped just short of the car going into the canal.
Police K-9s were brought into the area and three people who ran from the car were arrested a short time later.
Ryan Anthony Hansen, 30, was arrested for investigation of assault on a police officer, theft of a firearm and failing to stop for police. The car he was driving was stolen, the report states.
"I believe (Hansen) is a substantial threat to the public after purposely hitting a police officer while fleeing in a vehicle. When (Hansen) ran from the vehicle, footprints in the snow showed he tried to force open multiple doors to homes in the area. That showed (he) was willing to do anything to escape law enforcement and had blatant disregard to public safety," according to the report.
Amber Willis, 35, and Moses Smith, 42, were also arrested for investigation of fleeing.
In 2011, Hansen was convicted on an amended charge of attempted failure to stop at the command of police.
