ST. GEORGE, Utah, Dec. 17, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A St. George man was arrested after allegedly attempting to assault a police officer outside a McDonald’s Monday morning.
A probable cause statement from the 5th District Court of Washington County said John Robert Horton, 54, is facing charges of:
- Assault against a police officer, a class A misdemeanor
- Unlawful purchase by interdicted person, a class B misdemeanor
- Interference with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor
- Disorderly conduct after request to stop, a class C misdemeanor
- Intoxication, a class C misdemeanor
The arresting officer said in the statement he responded to the McDonald’s on 1235 S. Bluff St. just after 10 a.m. on a report of a man who was yelling at the people inside the restaurant.
“Upon arrival, I made contact with an individual, John Horton,” the statement said. “I could smell an alcoholic odor coming from him. His speech was slurred and he was confrontational. I asked if he had anything drink, to which he responded he had three beers that morning. Dispatch had advised that Horton is an alcohol interdicted person.”
When the officer asked him questions, Horton allegedly became agitated and swore at him.
“He swung the plastic bag of items in his hand around his head and forcefully threw it to the ground,” the statement said. “He then attempted to square up to fight by rolling his shoulders back, facing me with clenched fists. At this point, two other officers grabbed Horton by the shoulders and pushed him against the McDonald’s wall, telling him that he was under arrest. He continued to fight and swear at the other officers.”
Officers performed a takedown since Horton was resisting arrest, the statement said.
“Once on the ground, he continued to resist arrest and was placed in handcuffs,” the statement said. “He kicked a concrete McDonald’s trash can with a plastic red lid, causing it to fall to the ground and break upon impact. He continued to make verbal threats toward the assisting officers and stating, ‘I am going to shoot you with a shotgun’ and ‘I am going to punch you in the face.'”
Horton then kicked the back right fender of a police patrol vehicle. In the vehicle, Horton banged his head against the window repeatedly and yelled at pedestrians getting into their vehicles close by, the statement said. A bottle of alcohol, mostly consumed, was found in Horton’s possessions, the statement said. The suspect continued to make threats against officers, and while being transported, he kicked the patrol vehicle’s window.
Horton was out on probation or parole, the statement said. He was transported to Washington County Jail with his bail set at $2,500.
