SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 3, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was arrested after allegedly threatening and assaulting staff at a Salt Lake City hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Eugene Smith, 43, is facing charges of:
- Assault/threat of violence on healthcare provider/EMS, a class A misdemeanor
- Alter/remove label of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor
“Officers responded to Salt Lake Regional Hospital because a male had begun to threaten and assault staff,” the statement said. “When the first officer arrived, the A/P (accused person) was located in the ER department yelling and being hostile toward healthcare staff. The A/P had taken a bladed stance and continued to be hostile towards staff until the officer approached and confronted the A/P.”
The suspect had been transported by EMS to the hospital to be seen for a sore that he had on his arm.
“The A/P had become increasingly aggressive in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and staff stated that he unbuckled himself from the gurney and started to ‘get in their faces,'” the statement said. “A security staffer by the hospital then intervened and attempted to place himself in between the A/P and other staff members.”
The suspect then allegedly became aggressive toward the security guard and “rolled up his sleeves,” the statement said.
“The A/P then took a wadded up paper towel that he was using to cover his sore, which had blood and other bodily substances on it, and threw it in the security guard’s face,” the statement said. “The security guard stated that the paper towel did make contact with his skin.”
Smith was then handcuffed and was evaluated and treated by doctors.
“After treatment, the A/P was searched incident to arrest and inside of his right front coin pocket was located a small, clear, rock-like substance wrapped in plastic,” the statement said. “The male immediately stated ‘it’s not illegal for me to have that.'”
The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Smith was transported to Salt Lake County Jail.
According to the probable cause statement officers claimed Smith posed a danger to healthcare workers and recommended he “be held in detention as to prevent further victims.”
