SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Aug. 28, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — After first announcing his intentions online, police arrested a West Valley City man after he drove to South Salt Lake to allegedly shoot at his associate.
Richard Eugene Doty, 41, who is a convicted felon, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday evening on suspicion of aggravated assault, felony discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, all third-degree felonies, in addition to misdemeanor counts of threats of violence and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to charging documents.
Events began Tuesday afternoon with residents reporting two men shooting at each other in South Salt Lake. Police instead found a victim saying he and Doty were associates and Doty had just fired a handgun at him as he stood in his driveway, police said. The suspect shot from his vehicle, then drove off.
“(The victim) provided officers with numerous text messages from Richard within the past 24 hours threatening to kill him, shoot him, and shoot his house with a handgun,” according to Doty’s probable cause affidavit.
Doty’s vehicle was found abandoned a short distance away, and officers found two spent shell casings inside, both later determined to be the caliber of handguns Doty is believed to own, according to the court filings.
“Richard was located at his residence using police tactics.”
He was arrested and his home searched, which revealed “copious amounts of drug paraphernalia. Post Miranda, Richard admitted to being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and bath salts. Richard admitted to sending the threatening messages on his cell phone.”
By Tuesday night, Doty was ordered by a 3rd District judge to be held without bail, according to court records.
