Woman safely taken into custody following police standoff in Cedar City
Written by Jeff Richards
CEDAR CITY — A woman was safely taken into custody in Cedar City on Saturday morning following a three-hour standoff with law enforcement officers from multiple agencies.
Cedar City Police Lt. Jimmy Roden said SWAT officers surrounded the woman's vehicle and were able to take her into custody at approximately 9:45 a.m.
The incident began at 6:30 a.m. when police were called to a parking lot at 943 S. Main Street, according to a news release issued by Cedar City Police.
"Officers were advised that the subject was delusional, paranoid and that she had a handgun," the news release states. "A family member on scene expressed a fear for her own safety as well as the safety of the adult female in crisis."
Upon arrival, officers found the woman inside a white Toyota passenger car. Initial attempts to communicate with her were unsuccessful, police said.
After about an hour, she attempted to drive away but only made it about a block or so, as the vehicle's tires had gone flat after running over deflation devices, the police statement said.
Scene of an incident involving SWAT team near 475 West and 800 South, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 9, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
The vehicle ended up just off the west side of Main Street on 475 West near 800 South, just west of the Village Apartments.
Once the car had stopped, officers once again attempted to establish communication with the driver, but without success.
"Negotiators, victims' advocates and Tier II mental health officers tried to negotiate her surrender," the statement said.
Then, just after 9:40 a.m., more than three hours after the initial call, officers forced entry into the vehicle by breaking a side window with less-than-lethal munitions.
The woman was then safely extricated from the vehicle, along with her dog, police said.
The woman did not appear to be physically harmed and was later observed walking to the ambulance and getting in on her own, surrounded by officers and other responders.
"She was then transported to a local area hospital to be treated for her mental health crisis," the statement said, adding that no charges have been filed against the woman.
Responding agencies included Cedar City Police, Utah Highway Patrol, Iron Metro SWAT, Iron County Sheriff's Office, Southern Utah University Police, Enoch Police, Gold Cross Ambulance, Parowan Police, and Cedar City Police victims' advocates.
This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Scene of an incident involving SWAT team, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 9, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports
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Posted in Local, NewsTagged cedar city, Cedar City Police, Iron METRO SWAT, mental health crisis, police standoff, swat incident