2 facing trial in wild January chase through 2 counties

Two people who police said led them on a wild chase through two counties, driving a stolen car and firing multiple shots at pursuing officers, were bound over for trial on Wednesday.

Police also claim the early-morning crime spree on Jan. 5 involved attempts to carjack two vehicles, shooting and hurting a woman who refused to give up her car and racing the wrong way on I-15. Police also say that a detective was told there was a bomb in the stolen car — forcing a bomb squad to remove a silver cylinder that now is in custody of federal agents.

Randy Ross Parry, 26, and Crystal L. Huffman, 30, each have been charged by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office with two first-degree felony counts of attempted criminal homicide, second-degree felony theft and third-degree felony failure to stop for a police officer.

Parry, who told police he was on parole from South Dakota, also is charged with third-degree felony possession of a firearm by a restricted person and second-degree felony possession of an explosive device.

Prosecutor Vincent Meister told 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton that additional charges will be pending in Davis County, and plans are to amend the criminal complaints against Parry and Huffman to add those charges to the Salt Lake County case, with Davis County prosecutors taking part in future consolidated legal proceedings.

Parry also is facing another Salt Lake County charge of third-degree felony assault by a prisoner in a separate criminal case. A preliminary hearing for that will be held Oct. 4 before 3rd District Judge Kate Toomey.

West Valley police officer Blair Barfuss testified Wednesday that he began following a car described by a dispatcher as a stolen vehicle on I-215, and that led to a circuitous chase that sometimes snaked through Salt Lake neighborhoods. At one point, Barfuss said the driver leaned fully outside the vehicle and shot at him while they were about two car lengths away. The vehicle didn't swerve, leading Meister to contend that Huffman was steering it.

At one point, Barfuss managed to spin the fleeing vehicle around and stall it, so the two cars were side by side, and he got a look at Parry. But while Barfuss was grabbing a shotgun, he said Parry restarted the car he was in and took off.

Barfuss testified that he and another officer again came within two car lengths of the car Parry was driving, and Parry again leaned out and shot towards them. Barfuss' vehicle later was found to have a hole in the radiator that caused it to overheat.