A multi-hour, high-risk SWAT standoff in Wellington early Wednesday ended with a 44-year-old man in custody after Main Street was briefly turned into a police staging ground, according to Carbon County deputies.
Deputies say they were called just after midnight to a home near 100 East and Main Street, where negotiators spent hours working to resolve the situation peacefully. Main Street was temporarily closed while the SWAT team secured the area, and the suspect eventually surrendered without additional injuries to officers or bystanders.
According to KUTV, deputies found a victim with a severe eye injury and chest wounds and took the person to a local hospital for treatment. Investigators say the victim later told officers the suspect threw them across the room during a verbal argument and that they may have briefly lost consciousness. Authorities also said the suspect appeared intoxicated at the time.
SWAT Called In As Negotiators Work For Hours
The Carbon County Sheriff's Office requested help from a SWAT team and shut down a section of Main Street while deputies tried to make contact with the suspect, according to KMYU. After several hours of negotiations, the suspect surrendered to police custody without further injury to the public or officers.
"We are grateful for our SWAT team and the level of professionalism they display in diffusing volatile situations such as this," Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood said, as reported by KMYU.
Felony Assault Booking
The suspect was identified as Scott Ralph Amott, 44, and was booked into the Carbon County Sheriff's Office on one count of second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of misdemeanor unlawful detention, KUTV reports. KUTV also reports Amott declined to speak to law enforcement after he was taken into custody.
What The Charges Mean Under Utah Law
Under Utah law, aggravated assault is generally charged as a felony. It is typically a third-degree felony, but if the assault causes serious bodily injury, it can be elevated to a second-degree felony under Utah Code Section 76-5-103, per Justia.
Unlawful detention, the other charge listed against the suspect, is a class B misdemeanor under Utah Code Section 76-5-304, according to Justia, although penalties can increase if other violent offenses are involved.
The case remains under investigation by county deputies, and local prosecutors will review the booking to decide whether to file formal charges. Main Street was reopened after the surrender, and neighbors said they were relieved the standoff ended without further harm.
_-_LEAD_2020.jpg){kind=link}