On Wednesday afternoon, a high-speed pursuit along Interstate 10 in West Valley ended in the arrest of the suspect driver by Department of Public Safety Officers.
According to ABC 15 in Phoenix, just after 12:00 P.M., a US Marshall’s Task Force attempted to stop the driver of a white Jeep when they failed to yield. Both the Mesa Police Department and DPS officers joined the pursuit shortly after the incident.
Video footage taken from a helicopter that was following the chase showed as many as a dozen law enforcement vehicles following the high-speed pursuit.
Officers from the involved agencies were eventually able to stop the suspect vehicle near the Verrado Way exit after a series of pit maneuvers.
The U.S. Marshall’s Service issued a statement saying that the suspect is identified as 51-year-old Scott Rasmussen. Rasmussen has an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Utah for forgery and theft. According to the statement, Rasmussen was convicted of wire fraud in 2004 but violated the terms of his probation. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 2012.
During his arrest in this latest incident, law enforcement officers found Rasmussen in possession of firearms.
Both the federal and local agencies implemented tactics and strategies to apprehend the suspect. The cooperation of the federal and local law enforcers was praised by both United States Marshall David Gonzales and DPS Colonel Frank Milstead.
