Local business owner arrested on suspicion of traffic offenses

SALT LAKE CITY- Following a car wash accident, a requested exchange of information turned into a multi-jurisdictional investigation, leading to the arrest of a local business owner suspected of a dozen crimes and infractions.

Jeffrey Todd Palmer, 59, was arrested Monday after allegedly committing a dozen crimes, ranging from trespassing to a third-degree felony.

According to a booking affidavit, on Sunday, officers went to a car wash located at 9760 S. 700 East to investigate a crash inside the car wash, where they identified Palmer as “causing a collision with a sedan in front of his vehicle.”

The document states that during conversations between a Sandy police officer and Palmer, “Palmer became belligerent… stating that he was not going to (exchange insurance information) and that he was going to go home,” which led to a call for backup.

Once other officers arrived, a police sergeant attempted to speak to Palmer, and “Palmer responded by running over (the) sergeant and refusing to roll down his window.”

During the investigation, a plan was developed to remove the vehicles from the automated car wash, according to the affidavit.

Officers on scene concluded that the best way to remove the vehicles from the car was to turn it back on, thus completing the wash cycle on both vehicles before attempting to get Palmer to exchange insurance information.

After the extrication, Palmer exited the car wash and drove around the officer stationed at the end of the car wash, fleeing police and “entered the southbound lanes of traffic on 700 East without stopping or using flashing sound,” according to the affidavit.

The next day, officers from the Saratoga Springs Police Department contacted Palmer in an attempt to take him into custody. While being taken into custody, Palmer “resisted and physically struck the two officers.” During the confrontation, Palmer also stated that “if (Palmer) had his gun, he would have shot (the officers) in the head for bending him over while trying to take him into custody.” »

The affidavit says Palmer was involved in two other hit-and-run cases, one on April 26 at the same car wash and another on June 4, 2021, which were investigated by the Utah Highway Patrol .

Palmer was arrested on suspicion of a dozen charges, including:

• Failing to stop or respond to a police command, a third-degree felony;
• three counts of neglect of duty during a vehicle accident resulting in property damage, a class B misdemeanor;
• four counts of obstructing a peace officer, a class B misdemeanor;
• driving without registration, an offense;
• failure to signal, an infraction;
• dangerous exit from an alley or alley, an infraction and;
• speeding, an infraction.