TAYLORSVILLE, Utah, Jun 25, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 19-year-old man has been arrested on felony charges after an armed altercation Saturday at the Taylorsville Dayzz carnival.
Dequan Jordan Lamar Parker has been arrested on suspicion of:
- Three counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Riot – bodily injury/property damage/arson/dangerous weapon, a third-degree felony
- Fail to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
A Taylorsville police officer filed Parker’s arrest documents. The officer noted he was identifiable as an officer by his police tactical vest at the time of the incident.
A witness informed the officer to the fight.
“I responded to the carnival and saw several individuals scattering from the center. A male witness told me that a male walking away, identified as AP (arrested party) Dequan Parker, was waving a firearm around. I could see that Dequan’s hands were near his waistband and Detective Cameron stated he could see the male holding a firearm.
“I ran after Dequan and told him to stop. Dequan failed to comply and began running through the carnival crowd, which was crowded with people, while keeping his hand at his waistband.”
Multiple officers pursued Parker on foot as he ran between the carnival and the Taylorsville Recreation Center. Parker failed to comply with commands to drop to the ground, his probable cause statement says.
Parker was forced to the ground and detained.
“Dequan was placed into handcuffs and a Glock 23 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine was removed from his waistband and secured. There was no round in the chamber.”
Arrest documents say he was taken into custody at about 5:02 p.m.
Post Miranda, Parker said he came to the carnival with a friend and two female family members, and he “had an ongoing feud with another female” whom he encountered at the event.
Parker and the woman began to fight, “and Dequan stated at one point, (the female victim) began charging at him, so he punched her in the face and put his hand on his concealed firearm. Dequan stated a large male grabbed him by the shoulder and he kept his hand on his firearm stating he would use force to defend himself. Dequan later stated he believed the male was trying to break up the fight.”
Parker denied removing the firearm from its holster, “and stated he ran from police because he was afraid.”
One of Parker’s female family members told another officer she and Parker saw the female victim, and Parker “told her something which had the effect of encouraging the two females to, ‘fight if they are going to fight now’ or else they would ‘run up” on (the female victim) later.”
The female victim said Parker and his female family member “began ‘swinging’ on her and they went to the ground.”
When Parker’s family member was beneath the woman, Parker kicked the woman in the face, she said.
One of the female victim’s two female family members then pulled Parker away, and the other struck Parker with a water bottle, court documents say.
“Two other unidentified witnesses also tried pulling Dequan off (the woman) at which point Dequan pointed his firearm at (the female victim and her family members) and the witnesses, and stated ‘I’ll shoot you, fat b–ch,’ and that he would shoot the two unidentified witnesses who were trying to break up the fight.”
Parker was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system and ordered to be held without bail.
