A man was taken into custody at Salt Lake City International Airport after an incident involving the theft of a backpack and an attempt to seize a police officer's weapon. Joseph Johnson, a 29-year-old man, was arrested on Sunday following the altercation.
As reported by FOX13, authorities responded to a report of luggage theft from the Delta Sky Club, where Johnson allegedly appropriated a backpack with an estimated $4,000 worth of contents. Asked to leave the club, Johnson was detained, but his behavior escalated while cooperating initially.
Subsequently, Johnson reportedly turned aggressive, refusing to obey commands, thrusting his luggage at officers, and trying to walk away despite being handcuffed. As obtained by KUTV, when officers intervened to prevent his escape, Johnson is said to have attempted to "grab and yank an officer’s holstered handgun." The officers employed physical strikes to thwart Johnson from taking the weapon, thereafter forcing him to the ground, and secured him in a WRAP restraint device.
Even when ensnared in the restraint, Johnson persisted with resistance, causing officers to carry him away. As per KSLTV, while in transit to jail, Johnson continued his struggle, slamming his head against the patrol vehicle's plexiglass repeatedly. The same source alleges that Johnson showed signs of intoxication, repeating himself and bearing a history of ejection from the Sky Club due to similar issues.
