An Anonymous Tip Gets A Drunk Driver Off The Road

By Travis Uresk

3/26/24

Uintah Co. — On March 24th, 2024, dispatch received an anonymous tip that a male in a yellow Ford Mustang was traveling from Lapoint to Vernal who appeared intoxicated.

Agent Ercanbrack and Agent Reynolds saw the Mustang traveling eastbound on SR-121 near 9500 East in Lapoint. The agents observed the car fail to stay in its lane by swerving over the lines multiple times.

At around 4:30 pm, the agents attempted to stop the Mustang by activating their emergency lights and siren, but the vehicle still refused to stop. The agents followed the Mustang through Lapoint at speeds of 60 mph.

Officer O’Donnal was in the area and located and caught up to the vehicle without lights and siren on. The officer decided not to do a traffic stop at this time.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Searle was in the area of SR-121 and mile marker 31 when he saw the Mustang traveling eastbound with Officer O'Donnal and the two agents behind it. The trooper activated his lights and siren, and the Mustang came to a stop.

A felony stop was conducted. Trooper Searle told the driver to turn off the vehicle, but the driver stuck his hands out the driver's side window. The driver was instructed to step out of the car, but he didn't respond.

The trooper deployed his tire deflation device, and the driver just sat there. Trooper Searle grabbed the driver, assisted him out of the vehicle and to the ground, and placed him under arrest. The driver was identified as 27-year-old Emilio Red Feather Tapoof.

During the trooper's conversation with Emilio, he kept asking about the vehicle pulled over near Liberty Corner (9500 E SR-121), the same area where the agents attempted to stop Emilio. Trooper Searle informed Emilio there was no vehicle pulled over there. Emilio then started asking about a car accident at Liberty Corner, and again, the trooper informed him there was no accident.

When asked where he was coming from, Emilio stated he was coming from Measer. When asked where he was going, he stated he was going to Lapoint.

A female showed up on the scene and stated she was following Emilio to Vernal when she saw the police pass by her with their emergency lights on and get behind Emilio.

Trooper Searle asked Emilio to perform the standardized field sobriety test, but he refused. It was determined that Emilio was not safe to operate a motor vehicle.

A search of the vehicle was done, and a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun was found behind the front passenger seat in a soft case and seized as evidence. Dispatch was asked to check Emilio's criminal history, and it returned he was convicted of DUI and possession of a controlled substance in 2017.

Emilio was transported to the Uintah Basin Medical Center, and on the way there, he again asked about the accident and who was stopped in Lapoint.

Trooper Searle asked Emilio what he had been doing the last three hours, and he said he had been drinking vodka and only had three shots. He was asked if he had used any drugs, and Emilio said that he smokes marijuana.

Emilio Tapoof was then booked into jail on charges of Failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, Driving under the influence- second offense within ten years, and Failure to operate within a single lane.