ST. GEORGE, Utah, Jan. 9, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — An 80-year-old St. George woman was booked into the Washington County jail on double felony charges after her husband reported she was armed and trying to shoot him after an argument concerning national politics.
St. George police were called to the scene at 6:50 p.m. Thursday on a report of a “family fight.”
The officer was advised by dispatch that the male reporting party (Oliver Brower) was reporting that his wife had a gun and was threatening to shoot him, according to the probable cause statement.
“While responding I was informed by dispatch the gun had been taken away from the female and Oliver was keeping the female pinned on the ground,” the officer stated.
The officer entered the residence after identifying himself as an officer of the St. George Police.
“I could hear a males voice telling me to come into the home. I ran in the direction I could hear the voice coming from. I located Oliver and Constance Brower on the ground in an office-style room. Oliver was holding Constance down on the ground.
“I quickly looked around the room and observed a silver and black handgun on a desk near Oliver and Constance,” the police statement says. “I took the handgun and placed it on a tall book shelf.”
The officer wrote he then helped suspect Constance Brower to her feet and took her to the kitchen while another officer interviewed her husband.
“I asked Constance what was going on tonight and she informed me she had been drinking this night and might have had too much to drink,” the probable cause statement says. “Constance stated she and Oliver got into an argument over politics and the current situation America is in. Constance stated she took her anger and frustration out on Oliver.”
The officer told the suspect he needed to advise her of her Miranda rights, “and before I could, Constance stopped me telling me to take her to jail. I advised Constance of her Miranda Rights and Constance immediately told me she wanted a lawyer.”
Oliver Brower told officers his wife had started drinking earlier, which was not abnormal. He said she told him to leave, which also was not unusual. He packed some clothes and headed to his car in the garage, he said.
“Oliver turned from the vehicle to go back into the home to get more items and he observed Constance standing in the doorway of the garage holding a handgun. Oliver told me Constance had the handgun pointed at him and Constance was telling Oliver to get into the house to get his stuff.”
The victim said his wife followed him to the master bedroom closet, still pointing a gun at him, the police statement says. Constance reportedly told her husband to sit on a chair in the closet, and put his foot forward so she could shoot it.
“Oliver told her this was not going to happen,” the statement says. “Constance then told Oliver to get up and to go into the office. Oliver told me he got up from the closet and walked to the office area of the home where Constance told him to sit down in a different chair. Oliver sat down and Constance began telling him she was going to kill him.”
The victim told the suspect “this was not going to happen,” the probable cause statement says. “Oliver told me Constance walked towards him and got close enough for him to hit her arm which knocked the gun out of Constance’s hand. Oliver states he and Constance fell to the ground and began fighting over the gun.”
The victim said his wife squeezed his crotch area hard, trying to hurt him and gain control. The victim told officers he had the gun in his hand and was able to strike his wife’s arm with the body of the gun, causing her to release her grasp on him. The victim said he then put the gun on a desk, out of his wife’s reach.
Constance Brower was arrested, cuffed and transported to a hospital for medical clearance.
She was then booked into jail on one charge of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
As of Saturday, she remained in jail with bail set at $25,010.
