WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, April 24, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A 41-year-old man was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after he began firing a pistol near a West Valley strip mall.
West Valley City Police Lt. Amy Mauer told Gephardt Daily police were called to the area of 3650 Redwood Rd. (1700 West) about 2:30 p.m. with multiple reports of shots fired in a crowded parking lot.
Witnesses reported a man, later identified as Aaron Watkins, stopped a Ford Explorer and began to yell at the occupants, then approached the driver’s side and attempted to make entry, according to a probable cause statement from Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver of the Ford Explorer attempted to leave the scene. Witnesses stated Watkins then fired at least one additional round from a black revolver-style handgun towards the vehicle as it left. He also fired at least one additional round in an unknown direction, witnesses said.
Watkins was placed in custody by officers, though he was non-compliant, and upon searching, a loaded black Smith and Wesson .357 was found in his front waistband, with two spent shell casings and three live rounds inside the gun. A loaded magazine to a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a Benchmade spring-assisted knife were also found on his person.
The probable cause statement said Watkins appeared to be under the influence and also had red bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. Watkins does have a concealed firearms permit but the probable cause statement added that being intoxicated with a loaded firearm is against the law.
Watkins faces multiple charges including six counts of third-degree felony aggravated assault.
Lt. Mauer praised her fellow officers’ response, saying West Valley PD was on scene within two minutes of the first call for help.
You guys are ridiculous. I was there someone was about to fire on him and take his life. I feel sorry for the guy. And the way they treated him at the arrest eas assenine. He was scared and mentioned to me that he was being hunted and muktiple attempts to take his life had already happened earlier that day. I saw a large suv type vehicle with what looked like black men brandishing what looked like machine guns or rifles. He fired twice into the air scaring the perpetrators away. That guy did what he had to. He should be awarded not skandered by the media