Police praise 2 men who foiled purse theft

The Salt Lake City Police Department is publicly thanking two Salt Lake City men who stopped and chased down a would-be purse snatcher.

Kenneth Sampley and Chris Taylor saw a 62-year-old woman screaming Thursday afternoon and ran to her aid. She had just been knocked to the ground by a man who had been trying to take her briefcase, near 200 S. 176 West, according to Salt Lake City police detective Jared Wihongi.

Sampley chased the would-be thief and caught him while Taylor helped the victim. The men ordered the would-be thief to sit on the ground until police arrived.

The man was arrested, and the woman was treated for a small cut to her left elbow, Wihongi said.