3 arrested in wild night at store

WEST VALLEY CITY — It was a wild scene Tuesday night at a grocery store, where police kept making arrests one after the other.

The events began about 7:20 p.m. at the Smith's Food and Drug, 4065 S. Redwood Road, when a police officer arrested a man for shoplifting and put him in the back of his patrol car, said West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan.

While the officer was parked in front of the store, he watched as store security officers chased a man outside the store. The man, who investigators said had robbed the service desk at gunpoint, then attempted to carjack a vehicle but was unsuccessful, McLachlan said. The security employees tackled the man, whose gun turned out to be fake, and the officer handcuffed him.

The officer then saw a large group of people come running out of the store. Unaware of what was happening, the officer called for backup, McLachlan said. He said the robbery suspect had reported that a friend in the store had a bomb. Store managers evacuated the building. No bomb was found.

While all this was going on, a third man reportedly tried to shoplift some items from the store and was arrested, McLachlan said.

The three men didn't have any connection to each other, McLachlan said.

The second man arrested was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated robbery and attempted carjacking.

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