DASH CAM PHOTO • This is the view taken by a Juab County police car during the dangerous chase south of Nephi last Thursday. Jose Angel Garcia-Jauregui was shot during a gun battle and apprhended by Juab County Officers. He later died of his injuries at the Utah Valley Medical Center.
By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab County law enforcement officers proved to be heroes as they pursued and apprehended Jose Angel Garcia-Jauregui, 27, who lead police on a dangerous chase through Utah and Juab Counties last Thursday.
Garcia-Jauregui succumbed to his injuries, which came as the result of a gun battle with deputies, at 2:20 p.m. Friday at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.
He was shot in Juab County on Thursday in a gun battle with four Juab County Deputies.
The look-out for Garcia-Jauregui began following the shooting death of Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Cory Wride, 44, along State Route 73 between Eagle Mountain, approximately 30 miles northwest of Provo, and Cedar Fort.
Wride, a 19-year veteran, stopped his patrol car at 1 p.m. to check on a pulled-over pickup truck with flashers blinking in which Garcia-Jauregui and a 17-year old female were sitting.
"Sgt. Wride walked up and made contact with Garcia-Jauregui," said Alden Orme, Juab County Sheriff.
Wride returned to his car and searched for information about Garcia-Jauregui and the pickup he was driving on a computer linked to police databases.
The officer made contact with Garcia-Jauregui and his female teen-aged passenger a couple of times, returning to his patrol vehicle each time.
"Someone slid open the truck's rear window and fired a handgun at Wride, hitting him in the head and killing him as he sat in his car," said Orme.
Two shots were fired.
Because Wride had run the plate on the suspect vehicle, police knew who they were watching for.
About one hour later, Greg Sherwood, 38, a deputy with the Utah County Sheriff's Office, spotted the suspect vehicle at 2:50 p.m. near Santaquin City's Main and Center streets and began pursuit, Orme said.
"Someone started shooting out the back window of the truck and a shot struck him in the head," said Orme.
Sherwood was critically injured in the encounter.
The two suspects entered the freeway exit headed south toward Nephi. A Utah Highway Patrol Trooper started to pursue the Garcia-Jauregui vehicle on Interstate 15. It is believed that the suspect then fired a shot at the UHP vehicle.
The Garcia-Jauregui vehicle continued south on the freeway toward Nephi. A Juab County deputy had placed spikes on the road to deflate the tires of the suspect's vehicle.
Orme said that the pickup truck continued south on the freeway past the center interchange.
"About midway between the center interchange and the south-Nephi interchange, Garcia-Jauregui fired out the window of the pickup truck and shot out three tires on a semi truck and fired at the truck door," said Orme.
Garcia-Jauregui and the female teen who was with him left the freeway at the south interchange (222) where another deputy had deployed tire spikes, the vehicle hit those, was already driving on nearly deflated tires and, at 3:20 p.m., when the tires on Garcia-Juaregui's vehicle were spiked, the car went through the median, off the road and crashed into a fence.
"The driver hit a delineator post," said Orme. "The male and female jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to stop other vehicles. Shots were fired."
Chetney Williams of Levan was in her 2008 Toyota Highlander with her 3 1/2 year old daughter, Presley, when she stopped for a young woman in the middle of Highway 89 in Nephi because the woman ran in front of the Williams vehicle.
Highway 132 passes under the freeway and becomes Main Street in Nephi. The underpass is located near the off-ramp.
"The car was headed north on Main Street under the freeway when the teen-aged female stepped in front of the vehicle and then, when the car stopped, she ran and got into the car," said Orme.
Garcia-Jauregui told Williams to get out and she stated that she had her daughter in her car seat and needed to get her out. The suspect told her to hurry and then started to drive off with the child still inside. Only with effort was the mother able to extract her child in time.
The mother was treated at a local hospital for stress-related symptoms.
The carjacked William's vehicle then returned to the freeway, said Orme. The driver headed south on I-15. A UHP trooper had placed spikes on the road which the vehicle struck but the driver continued south for a few more miles.
Near mile marker 216, the vehicle left the highway, went through the median and struck a northbound vehicle. The northbound van, driven by an older gentleman, pulled over and stopped because there had been an accident.
The suspects left the carjacked vehicle and tried to enter the van.
Four Juab County deputies pulled over on the southbound edge of the freeway. They began shouting to the man to drive away, said Orme.
"Just as the male suspect opened the van door the driver of the vehicle understood what the deputies were yelling at him and he drove away leaving the scene," said Orme. "The male (Garcia-Jauregui) then turned his focus to the deputies and a gun battle ensued."
Orme said that the deputies were heroes and should be recognized as such. They were standing just across the freeway from a man who was shooting at them and who was already suspected of killing one law enforcement officer, critically wounding another, firing at a UHP trooper, shooting a semi-truck, shooting at citizens, and carjacking a vehicle.
"When I saw the dash cam for the incident, I saw four brave men standing toe-to-toe with a man shooting at them with no cover between them," said Orme.
In his 25-year career in law enforcement, he said, he had never seen a greater display of bravery.
"Juab County residents and law enforcement are extremely blessed that with the amount of gun fire that took place in our county, no one was injured," he said.
He said his heart and that of his officers were broken when they thought of the family of Sgt. Wride and they would like the family to know that they all extend their sympathy to them. They also are concerned about Deputy Sherwood and his family.
"Our four deputies are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation which always takes place when there is an officer-involved shooting," said Orme.
Having four officers on leave meant that his office was down one-half, he said.
Williams, whose car is being held as evidence, will be helped by the Juab County Victims' Reparation fund. Orme said that steps had already been taken to help her so that she would have transportation.
Garcia-Jauregui was a wanted fugitive who had recently served 4 and a 1/2 years in prison for attempted murder after running over an acquaintance and stabbing him multiple times with a screwdriver in 2007. A warrant had been issued Wednesday for his arrest for violating the conditions of his parole.
Another case of third-degree felony assault by a prisoner that stemmed from a fight at the Utah County Jail was dropped.
Orme said that Garcia-Juaregui had been taken from the scene by Juab County Ambulance to Central Valley Medical Center and was later transferred to Utah Valley Hospital where he died on Friday following the Thursday gun battle.
"He was unconscious from the time of the shooting until his death," said Orme.
The 17-year-old girl who was with Garcia-Juaregui was being held in the Slate Canyon Juvenile Detention Center in Provo for questioning. Her name was not released because she is a juvenile. She was not injured.
She had retained an attorney and was talking to investigators.
All of the shooting incidents were recorded on dashboard cameras from the deputies' patrol cars. The video will be enhanced and played at a slower speed to help detectives with their investigation.
Deputy Sherwood underwent surgery Thursday. He remained hospitalized.
His wife, Gina Sherwood, released a statement Friday thanking the public for its support.
"Greg is breathing on his own and talking to us and the doctors. His surgery went very well and we are told he may be able to leave the hospital in less than a week. Our son and I greatly appreciate the support of our family and friends, including everyone from our police family. Greg is very concerned about the Wride family and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time."
"There were shots fired at officers; officers returned fire," Orme said. "We're just thankful there weren't citizens and additional officers injured in Juab County."
Utah County sheriff's investigators searched a home in Draper Thursday night. Both Garcia-Juaregui and the teen girl were believed to have connections to the house, possibly staying there at various times.
