MYTON, Utah, Dec. 18, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A man in Myton was booked into the Duchesne County Jail Friday after a deputy says he initially was stopped for riding a bicycle in the dark without an attached light.
Suspect Lee Bennet Richins, 53, was found to have an active warrant, and reportedly had a makeshift spear, with an attached kitchen knife, on his bike, arrest documents say.
After being told he was going to jail for the warrant, Richins told the Duchesne County Sheriff deputy he was going to kill him, then pulled out a machete, court documents say.
“Lee started begging (the deputy) not to take him to jail,” his probable cause statement says. The deputy “ordered Lee to get off his bicycle. When Lee was getting off his bicycle, he started to resist (the deputy) and told (the deputy) to get away from him or he was going to kill him.
“At this time, Lee produced another large machete-style knife from his person. Lee was pulling away from (the deputy who was) struggling to detain Lee with his hands on his right arm.
“Lee had the knife in his left hand. Lee told (the officer) to get off him and to kill him (Lee) or he was going to kill (the officer) as they struggled.”
The deputy and Lee detached, the probable cause statement says, and the deputy pulled out his handgun and “pointed it had Lee ordering Lee to drop his weapon.”
Richins ignored several commands to drop his weapon, and to drop to the ground, arrest documents say. Richins then got onto his bicycle and fled, the deputy’s account says. The deputy pursued Richins with emergency lights, then his siren activated.
Richins stopped his bicycle and got off. When commanded to drop his knife, Richins “”ignored these orders and continued begging and now fleeing on foot. Lee told (the deputy) that he was going to make him kill him if he doesn’t leave him alone.”
The deputy followed Richins on foot, continuing repeating the same commands, and ended up blocks away in a wooded area northeast Myton.
“Lee told (the deputy) that he was going to charge him if he didn’t leave him alone.” The officer continued to report orders, and the two continued walking, arrest documents say.
After Richins began to advance toward the officer with the knife in his hand, the officer “then fired his issued handgun twice and Lee fell to the ground.”
Richins continued to ignore orders to drop the knife, and did not do so until he was Tasered, the deputy’s statement says.
Richins was taken to the hospital for treatment. His backpack was found to contain a pipe with suspected marijuana residue. The officer also noted that due to his felony conviction status, Richins was restricted from having the two large knives found in his possession.
Upon release the same day, Richins was booked into jail on suspicion of:
- Assault on a peace officer/military with use of dangerous weapon
- Two counts of unlawful possession of dangerous weapon, a class A misdemeanor
- Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Interference with arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of a controlled substance, marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Richins is being held without bail.
