CLINTON, Utah, Sept. 28, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Clinton man has been booked into the Davis County Jail after police say a domestic altercation escalated from name calling to fisticuffs, then into a knife attack.
Triston James Sausameda, 21, is charged with aggravated attempted murder; and with aggravated assault — threat with show of force/violence, injury.
A probable cause statement filed by a Clinton police officer says officials were called to a family residence, in the area of 600 North and 1300 West, on Wednesday.
“I walked around the home and was listening to people inside talk about a knife and if cops find out, he could go to prison,” the officer’s statement says. “I then made contact with an individual at a lower window and asked that he and others involved in the family dispute come outside and speak with me.”
Officers spoke to Sausameda, who said he and his uncle began arguing after the uncle’s wife used curse words to call Sausameda stupid, and Sausameda made a disparaging remark in return.
“Their story continues that both (the uncle) and Triston squared off in mutual combat and once it was over, (the uncle) left and the situation ended.”
A camera mounted on the side of the residence revealed “mutual combat,” the statement says, and officers reviewing the video observed, “Triston began to back up and come into view and pull out what looks like the knife observed on the ground, and holds it in his hand. Triston then engages with (the uncle), who comes into view, and they tangle up while grabbing each other to fight.”
The video shows Sausameda holding a knife, not necessarily pointed at his uncle, as he attempts to punch the older man, the statement says. Sausameda is later seen to be holding the knife, but his uncle grabs the younger man’s arm so the knife cannot be used. Soon after, the uncle walks away.
The uncle, reached by phone the same night, said he would not return to the residence to talk to police because he was busy.
On Thursday, the uncle and his wife asked to be interviewed by police, the statement says. The uncle revealed that when he had said he was busy, he was actually at a hospital having doctors stitch closed a four-inch knife wound on the back of his shoulder.
The uncle told officers that Sausameda initiated the fight, and that during the physical altercation, “he heard Triston say, ‘I have a knife, I’m going to kill you.'”
Officers also learned that earlier on Thursday, the uncle returned to the residence to talk to Sausameda, and “While there, the conversation got to such a point that Triston pulled out a sword and threatened to kill (his uncle),” the statement says.
“This sword was seized as evidence with a search warrant after the arrest of Triston, at his home, inside his bedroom.”
Sausameda is being held without bail.
This is an unfortunate example of events being taken out of context. Triston did pull a knife on his uncle, after two of his uncles were both verbally and physically assaulting his younger, smaller cousin. He fought his uncle off with one hand while holding the knife in the other hand. There is video evidence proving this.
The incident with the sword happened when his uncle assaulted him the next morning while he was sleeping. Triston did not touch his uncle with the sword, merely grabbed it in self protection. The real story here is why the police are portraying these events as Triston attacking his uncle, when his uncles attacked his cousin and Triston was defending him.
Triston has no history of violence, both of his uncles Jimmy and Richard Sausameda, however have spent time in prison for violence. One for sexual assault of a child. I do not understand why the police have not fully investigated this matter prior to arresting Triston. There were several witnesses to these events. Instead they are taking the word of ex-convicts of the word of a young man with no history of violence.