VERNAL, Utah (AP) - Authorities say an officer has shrapnel wounds to his hand after a suspect tried to wrest away a gun that fired in the struggle at a northeast Utah hospital.
Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell tells the Deseret News (https://bit.ly/RZQAoW ) that 30-year-old James Robert Olson lunged for the Naples officer’s gun Saturday night.
Olson was at a hospital in Vernal to get an evaluation before being taken to jail. His handcuffs had been removed so he could use the restroom.
Naples Police Chief Mark Watkins says the weapon went off during the struggle and the bullet hit the floor.
Campbell says Olson wasn’t injured and was subdued quickly.
Earlier Saturday, police say he led officers on a chase, crashing through fences at multiple businesses and trying to steal vehicles before driving a crane truck slowly into a wall.
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Information from: Deseret News, https://www.deseretnews.com
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