SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 3, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A 32-year-old man was jailed Saturday after he reportedly assaulted two victims at the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake City.
The suspect, later identified as Andrew James Simpson, was waiting in line at the mission, at 463 S. 400 West, “and without provocation punched one victim in the back of the head with a closed fist, causing pain but no visible injury,” says a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department.
“A/P (arrested person) then punched a second victim in line with a closed fist in the mouth causing injury to the outer lip, a split lip and a split to the inside of the lip which caused a deformity to the face.”
The suspect left the scene before police and medical crews arrived, the statement says.
Two hours later, an officer working in Pioneer Park during the Farmers’ Market “observed the A/P throw a bottle at the back of the head of a female patron. The officer attempted to detain the suspect and he ran from the officer.”
Simpson was caught after a foot pursuit, and “refused to comply with officers and wrapped his arms and legs around a pole to resist being placed into handcuffs. It took four officers to get the A/P into handcuffs and numerous commands from each officer were given to the A/P to stop resisting.”
Once cuffed, Simpson refused to give identifying information to officers.
The woman hit with a bottle left the scene by the time officers returned, so no additional information is known about her injuries, court documents say.
“A/P is a nuisance and danger to society as he has committed multiple unprovoked assaults in a span of two hours,” the police statement concludes.
Simpson was charged on suspicion of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanor charges including assault and failure to stop at the command of law enforcement.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system and ordered held without bail.
