Tooele County Sheriff’s officials: Armed suspect arrested after standoff said he wanted to ‘be like Timothy McVeigh’

Department of Public Safety helicopter. File photo: Gephardt Daily

TERRA, Utah, Sept. 9, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Tooele County Sheriff’s Department responded last week after a report that a man armed with a handgun had watched a couple from a distance through a siting scope.

And after a standoff and an arrest, suspect Andie Jacob Adamson told officers he wanted to be like Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adamson’s probable cause statement says.

Tooele Sheriff’s officials arrested Adamson, 36, after a Sept. 3 standoff outside a home in Terra, a Tooele County city with a population of about 800.

Adamson faces charges of:

  • Criminal mischief, a second-degree felony
  • Four counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
  • Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
  • Threat of violence, a class B misdemeanor
  • Four counts of discharge of a firearm, a class B misdemeanor
  • Criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor

A Tooele County man was booked into jail on Sept. 3 after he was reported by a woman who said he was he was in the area of State Route 199 in a field about 75 yards north of her, with a handgun and a spotting scope, and was looking at her and her boyfriend through the scope.

“The complainant stated Andie was yelling ‘come out here mother f—ker’ to them. They hid behind their trailer and Andie fired three rounds,” says a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office.

“Andie continued to yell obscenities before firing one more round and running into the field to the southwest.”

Deputies, a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper and a Department of Public Safety Helicopter responded to search the area, the statement says.

“While staged near Valley View Street and First Street, Andie exited the residence he had been occupying … (I have spoken to the family member who owns the home and she has stated several times Andie is not allowed there) and began yelling at Lt. Wayman and Sgt. Caldwell. Andie had something in his hands and pointed it in their direction as they took cover.”

The officers believed the item pointed was a handgun, the statement says. Several commands were given, but Adamson “continued to yell obscenities,” the officer’s statement says.

The location of Terra is marked with a red pin Image Google Maps

“Andie exited and entered his home for hours while yelling obscenities and refusing to obey any lawful commands to be taken into custody. A robot was used to monitor Andie’s movements, so officers could stay behind cover. At one point, Andie exited the residence, and began throwing sticks and a tire at the robot. Andie grabbed the robot and went back inside.”

Adamson threw the robot into a cellar with water, the statement says. That caused “thousands of dollars of damage to the robot.”

The standoff ended when Adamson exited the home and was taken into custody without incident.

“While en route to the jail, Andie stated he will ambush cops and that he wanted to be like Timothy McVeigh. Andie stated next time he will make sure there are IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Once at the jail, Andie stated he will not be there forever, and he will see me on the outside. Andie then fired a ‘finger gun’ at me.”

The statement added that “Andie has threatened officers and has a history of fleeing from police. We have been called to and dealt with Andy numerous times harassing people in Terra.”

Adamson is being held without bail.

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