Man in custody after holding off SWAT officers in West Jordan

WEST JORDAN, Utah — A man who led West Jordan Police on a short chase and held SWAT officers at bay has been taken into custody. But, police are still trying to figure out why he fled from officers.

The police officer tried to pull the man over near Bangerter Highway and Woodgreen Avenue but the man reportedly led officers on a small chase. Investigators say he drove away toward a stranger’s house where he hid in the backyard for over an hour.

“Eventually he jumped up ontop of a shed where he had more of a vantage point,” said West Jordan Sergeant JC Holt. “There began to be some dialogue between him and the officers.”

Holt said the suspect reportedly had a gun and threatened to harm himself if the officers got near him.

“The officer saw what he believed to be a handgun in the suspect’s hand as he’s chasing the suspect,” Hold said. “He said the suspect pointed the handgun up at his head and said, ‘Don’t chase me. I’m going to kill myself.'”

Police reported the man eventually surrendered and the first place the man went was to the hospital. They wanted to give him a mental health evaluation since he threatened self-harm.

Investigators say they still have a lot of questions about why he ran from police in the first place.