SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 22, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was booked on four felony charges Saturday after he reportedly grabbed a knife when officers stopped him for fleeing police the day before.
Salt Lake City police stopped Robert Austin, 61, at about 10:45 a.m. Saturday in connection with a vehicle that fled officers at 200 South and 1700 West on Friday.
“When backing officers arrived on scene I ordered Robert out of the vehicle and opened his door,” say documents filed in the Saturday case by an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department.
“Robert became hostile so I reached for his left wrist to escort him from the vehicle. When the door opened I saw a knife by the center console and witnessed Robert grab the knife.
“I immediately grabbed Robert’s right hand and the knife and informed other officers that he had a knife then I pried the knife out of his hand and threw it away. I then pulled Robert from the vehicle and took him to the ground using persuasive blows to get Robert to comply and put his hands behind his back. Robert still did not comply and his hands were forced behind his back.”
The officer wrote that he cuffed Austin and sat him up, ensuring he could breathe.
“I then secured the knife. When asked why he grabbed the knife, Post Miranda, Robert stated that being ordered out of the vehicle was a threat and he ‘grabbed that f***ing knife to defend myself against you doing something you had no f***ing right to do.’
“When asked what his intent was Robert stated that ‘My plan was I was going to make you shoot my ass. Either live free or die free. I’m not doing this s**t with you mother f***ers ever again.'”
The officer wrote he believed Austin “intended to do serious bodily injury to myself and Sgt. Robinson using unlawful force to escape detention…Robert is a convicted felon while on pretrial release and has previous pending aggravated assault on a police officer charges pending.”
Austin was arrested on suspicion of:
- Two counts of assault on a peace officer with use of a dangerous weapon, a second-degree felony
- Failure to stop or respond at command of police, a third-degree felony
- Unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon, a third-degree felony
- Obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor
- Failure to disclose identity, a class B misdemeanor
Most of Austin’s recent arrests involve drug charges.
He was ordered held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail system.
