Man hits 4 patrol cars while fleeing, police say

OGDEN — A man hit four police cars while attempting to flee from officers after police say he assaulted his girlfriend with a knife.

About 10:30 police got a call of a domestic disturbance involving a man, 60, who was holding a knife to his girlfriend's throat, Ogden Police Lt. Mike Ashment said.

"When officers arrived the man was getting inside a pickup truck and he put it in gear and hit a patrol car as he was leaving and almost ran over one of the officers in the process," Ashment said.

The man then ran a red light at 26th Street and Washington Boulevard and hit another police car that was stopped there trying to clear the intersection, the lieutenant said. After hitting that car, the man backed up and rammed the car two more times, striking another officers' car in the process, according to Ashment.

"The man then went north on Lincoln until the 2400 block where he drove into the southbound lanes and crashed into the front of another officers car," he said. "That caused the car to flip over and it came to a rest on its side after hitting a light pole."

Officers were able to free the man from his vehicle and he was taken to the hospital with some broken bones and some other lacerations. He remained hospitalized Friday after undergoing surgery.

Once released from the hospital he will be arrested for investigation of aggravated assault, assault on a police officer and domestic violence, Ashment said.

The man's girlfriend suffered some minor cuts to the neck and a few significant cuts to her hands, he said.

None of the officers were injured. One of the patrol cars was totaled, another had severe damage but might be salvageable, and the two others had minor damage.

— Ethan Thomas