FARMINGTON — Davis County prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a man who led police on a high speed chase, including a North Salt Lake police officer whose vehicle crashed on wet roads, eventually killing him.

However, prosecutors decided not to file charges in connection with the death of officer Charlie Skinner.

"We just couldn't find anything in our statute that would cover that type of action," deputy Davis County Attorney Steve Major told the Deseret News Wednesday, shortly after the charges were filed.

William Ferris Fisher, 30, was charged with nine counts including felony theft by receiving stolen property, failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, identity theft, vehicle burglary and drug possession. He is currently in the custody of state corrections officials on a probation violation.

Bountiful police spotted a stolen car on Nov. 3 and attempted to stop it. Police said the driver sped away, leading officers from several cities on a chase. Near 2300 South and U.S. 89 in Bountiful, Skinner lost control of his police cruiser on wet roads and slammed into the concrete base of a sign.

Skinner died days later when his family took him off life support.

Prosecutors initially looked at pursuing a homicide-level charge against Fisher, but ultimately decided they couldn't because Skinner's involvement in the pursuit was "peripheral." The officer was responding to assist in the chase by setting up road spikes and lost control on the roads, Major said.

"It wasn't anything that the defendant did other than fleeing. He didn't do anything to cause the accident itself," he said, likening it to an officer who dies en route to a call of a burglary and pursuing a homicide charge against the suspected burglar.

Fisher faces numerous felonies. Police wrote in charging documents that when he was finally arrested after wrecking the stolen car on I-15 near 900 West in Salt Lake City, officers found several stolen credit cards.

"In addition, a large amount of property was located in the vehicle. An investigation showed that this property had been stolen from several vehicles in the Davis County area," Bountiful police officer Scott Gilbert wrote. "Also in the vehicle, officers found a pipe containing methamphetamine residue. Defendant was interviewed and admitted that he had been smoking methamphetamine earlier in the day."

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com