SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 20, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was booked into the Summit County jail Thursday after Sheriff’s officials say he made threats and took actions to burn down the residence of a woman and her roommate, with the roommate’s dogs inside.
Gary Lee Jamison, 56, faces charges of:
- Aggravated arson, a second-degree felony
- Purchase, transfer, use or possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class B misdemeanor
Sheriff‘s officials were summoned to the scene of Summit County’s Tollgate subdivision. The suspect “was making threats to barricade himself in the residence and burn the house down,” Jamison’s probable cause statement says. He made the threats to the woman, whom he had been in a relationship with, and her female roommate.
“Gary made threats to (the roommate) that he would burn the house down with (her) two dogs inside to kill them. I arrived at the bottom of Tollgate Canyon Road, which is the only egress from the subdivision after reports that Gary had left the residence in a vehicle. A traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle and Gary was detained.”
Inside the vehicle, registered to Jamison, was a loaded .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver.
“A records check for Gary showed a felony conviction out of Idaho, making Gary a restricted person in possession of the firearm.
“Deputies responded to the residence and reported an odor of propane outside of the residence. Due to safety concerns, the fire department was called to the scene. Fire personnel turned off the main gas line to two separate propane tanks for the residence.”
Entering the residence
Officers obtained a key to the residence, and deputies and fire officials began to clear the interior “for any other possible devises to burn the house down.”
They heard barking, and confirmed dogs were in the residence.
“I observed an exterior door was barricaded from inside the residence,” the officer’s probable cause statement says. “The window to the door was covered in tape and aluminum foil so you could not see inside the residence from outside.
“I continued clearing the downstairs and located an additional propane tank connected to a yellow flexible gas tube that was left. The other end of the yellow tube was not connected to anything, it was left sitting out in the open air of the residence. I observed a battery charger sitting next to the propane tank. The battery charger was plugged into a battery that was next to two other car batteries. I observed additional wires that appeared to be connected to another power source.”
The officer called a firefighter over to examine the set up, which appeared to be a propane explosive device.
“Fire reported this setup appeared to be a substantial step towards executing the threats that were reported.”
A witness told the officer there was an ongoing domestic dispute between Jamison and the roommate. The witness told officers Jamison said “it was about to get real shitty around here with police involved,” and that “it was going to be like Ruby Ridge here.”
The roommate told officers multiple times that “she was in fear for her safety from Gary,” the statement says.
The officer’s statement noted that Jamison is a convicted felon with a history of aggravated assaults. The officer suggested Jamison be held without bail due to those circumstances, and “information obtained indicating Gary may be in the process of moving to Arizona,” making him a flight risk.
“According to involved parties, Gary made threats communicating intent and based on evidence observed on scene, Gary took substantial steps toward the commission of the offenses.”
A judge granted the no-bail request.
