ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 26, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly threatened a woman with an ax outside a St. George store.
A probable cause statement from the 5th District Court of Washington County said Derrick Don White, 39, is facing charges of:
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor
- Unlawful possession/purchase/transfer of a dangerous weapon, a class A misdemeanor
- Disorderly conduct after request to stop, a class C misdemeanor
St. George City police officers were dispatched to Lowe’s, at 415 S. River Road, when a complainant reported a man was running at her with an ax in the parking lot.
Officers responded and located the man, later identified as White, in the area.
“The complainant stated White had been in the parking lot yelling about his missing dog and swinging an ax,” the statement said. “The complainant told White to calm down and
that she was calling the police because she was concerned he was going to harm someone. White continued yelling about his missing dog and began chopping the leaves off a small tree.”
White then directed his attention toward the complainant and began yelling at her, the statement said. The complainant reported White raised the ax and ran toward her yelling he was going to “kill her f—— kids,” the statement said. White then allegedly put the ax down and ran toward the complainant again.
“Several witnesses saw White chopping the leaves off the tree and yelling and screaming profanities about his missing dog,” the statement said. “The witnesses also observed White run towards the complainant with the ax while yelling at her.”
A male witness stepped in between the suspect and the complainant to prevent White from harming her, the statement said.
A large metal hatchet with a blue handle was located near the scene of the incident.
Surveillance video from a nearby store allegedly showed White running aggressively toward the complainant on the sidewalk.
He was transported to the police station and, after being read his Miranda rights, “White confirmed he used the hatchet to take out his frustrations for his missing dog on the tree,” the statement said. “White confirmed he was angry with the complainant for calling the police and following him so he ran towards her. White denied any intention of harming the complainant but did say he was going to, ‘kill that f—— bitch,’ for getting involved in his business.”
According to White’s criminal history, he was convicted of third-degree felony theft in Marion County Circuit Court in 2015, making him a Category II restricted person. He was on probation or parole at the time of the incident Sunday.
White was booked into Washington County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
