Sexual assault, robbery suspect arrested overnight in Salt Lake City, SWAT team aids in effort

Salt Lake City Police Department SWAT team at the scene of a nighttime standoff on South Main Street, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. Photo by SLCPD

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, December 8, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) – A sexual assault and robbery suspect was detained overnight in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Police said 911 dispatchers received a phone call at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday reporting a sexual assault and robbery in an apartment complex on the 900 block off South Main Street.

The officers were able to contact the victim and “find physical injuries,” the statement said. The victim was then taken to a nearby hospital as part of the sexual assault investigation.

“During their investigation, the officers learned that several people were hiding in a residential unit and that there was likely a firearm in the apartment,” the SLCPD said. “Officials tried to contact the people in the unit to safely resolve the situation.”

At around 11:30 p.m., the on-site operations manager asked for the support of the SLCPD’s SWAT team and the department’s crisis negotiators.

At 2:12 am on Wednesday, SWAT detained several people, “including the person believed to be the prime suspect and a person with an active warrant,” the statement said.

SLCPD chief Mike Brown praised officials for bringing the stalemate to a safe conclusion.

“These are very dangerous situations, and yet the actions of our patrol officers, SWAT team members and crisis negotiators in this case underscore their expertise in dealing professionally with these cases to protect our community and the integrity of the investigation.”

Detectives from the Special Victims Unit lead the investigation.

An SLCPD victim’s attorney is providing the victim with personal support and resources, police said.