SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Aug. 21, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — One man was taken to the hospital and one was jailed Saturday after an assault using a broken bottle.
South Salt Lake police responded to the Jordan River Parkway Trail late Saturday morning on a report of a fight in progress. Officers found an injured man.
“The victim reported that a male suspect threatened to hit him with a glass bottle,” say charging documents for David Alan Desmond, 38. “The victim said the suspect struck him on the head with the glass bottle, causing the bottle to break upon impacting his head. The victim then told me that the suspect was swinging the broken bottle around with his right hand as if he was trying to hit him with it.
“The victim told me he pushed the suspect, causing the suspect to fall backwards. However, the victim was unable to remember if he was struck with the broken bottle, because everything happened very fast.”
The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.
“The victim had obvious signs of serious bodily injury; the victim was bleeding heavily from a head injury, he had a large laceration on his right bicep, and three more lacerations on his left arm near his elbow,” the officer’s statement says.
“The victim was transported to an area hospital where his injuries were treated. The victim’s bicep (muscle alone) required four sutures to close, the skin on the bicep required 17 stitches to close the skin, and the three lacerations on his left arm required several more sutures to close them.”
Just after 5 p.m. the same day, the victim called dispatch to report Desmond was again trying to fight him near the same scene. Orem police were able to take Desmond into custody and search him, and allegedly found drug paraphernalia in his pants pocket.
“Post Miranda, David told me the victim tried to rob him with a knife. David said the victim rushed him with the knife, pushed him to the ground, and punched him in the face and body several times. David told me that he feared for his life because he thought the victim was going to stab him. David said he struck the victim on the head with a bottle to get him off of him. David told me he ran away when he freed himself from the victim.”
Desmond had no signs of injury on his face or body except for a “small scratch on his left hand,” the affidavit says. “David made no attempts to call the police prior to his arrest. David identified the tin foil and the plastic tube (from his pocket) as drug paraphernalia. However, David told me he found the items on the ground.”
Desmond was arrested for investigation of:
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony
- Threat/use of a dangerous weapon in a fight, a class A misdemeanor
- Threat of violence, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Desmond was ordered held without bail.
