In 2002, a UHP trooper pulled over a vehicle on I-70 near Joseph, Sevier County, for not having a front license plate. The trooper realized something was not right by the way the driver was acting. What the trooper found in the trunk was an ice cooler containing two dismembered bodies.

Because of those unknowns, some officers will argue no traffic stop is "routine" — although some minor infraction may result in a substantial arrest.

"One of the most dangerous things we do is traffic stops," Snyder said.

Snyder and others say there are many tales of seemingly "routine" traffic stops that escalate into a shootout with a wanted man or a major drug bust.

That's why officers receive constant training and are reminded never to become complacent.

"Complacency kills," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Jaroscak. "We specifically try to combat that mental attitude of complacency. You never know who you're stopping."

An officer may pull over a speeder dozens of times each week. But officers approach each stop with their guard up.

"It may not be someone just late to church. It may be someone fleeing a crime," Jaroscak said. "Don't assume that what you see is exactly what you got."

---

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com