CLEARFIELD, Utah, Sept. 1, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was booked into the Weber County jail for investigation of 18 possible felony charges early Sunday after he reportedly sat in a Clearfield driveway and told a woman who exited the house he was suicidal, then threatened to kill partygoers after she invited him in to enjoy some company.
An affidavit filed by an officer of the Clearfield Police Department says once officers arrived on scene, the suspect tried to flee, then reached for a gun in his waistband.
The 34-year-old suspect, whose name is being withheld by Gephardt Daily due to his prospective mental health issues, was booked into the Weber County jail for investigation of:
- Six counts of assault on a peace officer with use of dangerous weapon, a second-degree felony
- 11 counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Fail to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Interfering with a peace officer, a class B misdemeanor
As in all cases, the District Attorney’s Office will determine charges.
Clearfield Police officers responded to the scene, in the area of 1100 East and 800 South, at about 2:51 a.m. Sunday to “investigate the report of a male making suicidal statements as well as threats to civilian members of the public,” the affidavit says.
“It was reported the male had a handgun on his person. Officers approached the male on foot and upon close contact, he started reaching for his waistband (where his gun was located). An officer yelled the male was reaching for the handgun in his waistband. The male then decided to try run from officers and commands were given to stop. The male was tackled, but was able to escape the brief detention and started running away.”
Officers chased the man on foot, commanding him to stop, then the reporting officer was able to tackle the man.
“I pinned him to the ground and other officers caught up and also went hands-on. The male started reaching his right hand toward his waistband, where again the announcement was made the male was reaching for a gun. Numerous strikes to the males face and torso were given. The male was eventually detained in handcuffs and a handgun was removed from his person which was loaded with a single cartridge.”
“Six officers were involved in the males’ attempt to pull the handgun out when trying to handcuff him on the ground. These six officers were in immediate danger of being shot by the handgun at the disregard for human life as shown by the arrested party.”
Officers next interviewed the complainant, who noticed the man in the driveway, and who reportedly listened to him make suicidal statements, the affidavit says.
“This female told the arrested party he could come inside as there were many other people and could be ‘one of them.’ She wanted to ease his suicidal ideations,” the affidavit says. “He responded with saying something to the effect of, ‘because you said that, now all of you in the house are going to be dead.’ He then lifted his shirt and showed her his handgun.”
The alleged suspect also threatened the lives of two other people who made contact with him, and showed his handgun, the probable cause statement said.
“The arrested party left for a short period of time, but returned and announced through the door he was there to kill them and specifically named one of the victims by name and said he was going to kill him.”
“In total, there were 11 people in the house who were affected by these aggravated threats to kill everyone in the house. This disregard for human life posed a significant danger to the public. The male was in a public space and this behavior needed to be ceased immediately to preserve life.”
The suspect was ordered held without bail.
Editor’s Note:
Gephardt Daily refrains from reporting suicides, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, including prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. To speak with a trained listener, call 988.
The Crisis TEXT Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To contact a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is also free, available 24/7, and confidential.
Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life.
