BRIGHTON, Utah, Jan. 22, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A 21-year-old Utah man who police say refused to turn away from a full ski resort parking lot, then allegedly wrestled a uniformed police officer for his weapon, has been booked into the Salt Lake County jail on felony charges.
Nathan Sheffield Harrison was booked after an altercation Saturday with a Unified Police Department officer who was working a Brighton shift on Saturday as part of a secondary employment contract held by the UPD.
Harrison approached the resort at about 10:15 a.m., a probable cause statement says.
“Parking lot attendants had closed the parking lot and were turning the vehicles around because the lot was full,” it says. “The AP (accused person) was continuously honking his horn as he approached the loop to turn around. I approached the AP’s car and
asked him why he was honking his horn.
“The AP began yelling and screaming that he had a season pass to ski and that I needed to let him through. I told him to stop honking his horn and that he would have to turn around like all the other drivers.”
The man, later identified as Harrison, rolled up his window and drove toward the signs and cones blocking the road. A parking lot attendant continued driving forward, the statement says.
“I banged on the AP’s window multiple times yelling at him to stop his car,” the UPD officer’s statement says. “The AP stopped his car after the attendant slapped the hood of his car. I told the AP to roll his window down multiple times which he did not comply. The AP sat in his car yelling, screaming, and waving his arms around. AP was obstructing traffic and was not following any of my commands.”
The officer then opened Harrison’s car door and “yelled for him to turn his car, continue through the loop and head down the mountain,” the statement says. “The AP immediately grabbed my coat and began pulling me into his vehicle. I yelled for him to exit the vehicle at which time he began pulling and swinging his arms around hitting me multiple times. I disconnected his seatbelt and pulled him out of the vehicle.”
Harrison yelled something the officer could not understand, and the officer tried but failed to wrestle Harrison to the ground.
“The AP continued swinging at me. I delivered multiple distraction blows to the AP’s jaw and face. This did not have the desired effect as the AP continued to strike me.”
The officer got Harrison to the ground and pinned him, the statement says.
“I then felt the AP reaching and grabbing the holster to my gun. I believed he was attempting to disarm me. Multiple witnesses confirmed his attempt and have filled out statements. Still attempting to control him on the ground, the AP was able to roll me over and push my head and chest into a nearby snow bank.
“The snow was very deep and I was completely unable to breath as he pushed my head into the snow. I could not see or breath at this time. I covered my firearm with one hand and was able to kick the AP off of me.”
The officer stood up, radioed for assistance and drew his gun on Harrison, the statement says.
“I told the AP to lie on the ground but he did not comply. The AP squatted on the ground. I holstered my weapon and reengaged the AP. I was able to control his head and one arm. I held him on the ground in this position until a backing unit arrived.”
A backup officer cuffed Harrison, who tried to break and pull off the handcuffs, the statement says. Harrison was transported to the Salt Lake County Jail in a patrol car that had a prisoner cage.
Harrison was booked on suspicion of:
- Disarming a police officer, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault an attempt with force or violence to injure, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
- Interfering with an officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor
- Failure to obey signs, an infraction
Harrison is being held on $27,750 bail. As of late Tuesday afternoon, he remained in police custody.
Was this officer on duty as a officer or as a parking atendent
I’m with ya buddy.
Your complaint has been submitted and assigned the ID 13343345. For your reference, a copy of your complaint appears below. You will receive an email with further information once your complaint is processed by the BBB.
The complaint is being handled by the dispute center listed below. Please contact them with any questions.
Better Business Bureau of Utah (Taylorsville, UT)
3703 West 6200 South
Salt Lake City , UT 84129
[email protected]
Web: http://www.utah.bbb.org
I left a complaint with the BBB about Brighton’s disregard for basic logic. Brighton’s parking is a joke. They need to build a lot or work with UTA, and UDOT. This guy is my hero for putting Brighton’s terrible service into the spotlight. Brighton would love to try to convince us that there is no better way to do business, but we all know better. Seriously, Brighton needs to take action NOW! They love ripping off their customers letting them drive up. They should put a sign AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON saying not to come up. Instead they let you drive all the way up, just to turn around. This guy probably wanted to drive up the building so he could take a long awaiting defecation.
There is a clear case of false advertising on their website.
“Getting to Brighton is easy! Brighton is located at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, just 35 minutes southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake International Airport.” What a bunch of BS!
The officer involved is a unified police officer working a secondary security job sanctioned by the department.
He is my son, and this crazed, entitled poor excuse of a man, attempted to disarm him, and suffocate him in the snow, all over a parking space. I could have lost my youngest child over a parking space! Not one person came to his aid. Not one parking attendant. Not one witness. No one kicked this monster while he held my son’s head in the snow. Or grabbed a tire iron – anything to help a police officer obviously in need. But I bet you they filmed it. This comment is to plead, as a police officer’s mother, to help any police officer who appears to need it.
I may have been speaking out of fear and anger. According to my son, if someone interfered in his confrontation, then not only would he have to defend himself, but also anyone attempting to assist him. So, the mother bear in me wanted someone to help him, but apparently in this particular situation, that wouldn’t have been the best course of action.
I apologize. This incident really shook me up.