Utah County man hospitalized after being found naked, belligerent in Provo Canyon

A Utah County man was hospitalized Sunday after police found him naked and belligerent in the brush and scrub oak near the Squaw Peak Overlook in Provo Canyon.

A 911 caller first reported seeing the 26-year-old Provo man to police about 6:15 a.m., the Utah County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Police found the man about a quarter mile from the overlook parking lot. When they spoke to the man, he charged at them.

A deputy attempted to subdue the man by deploying a Taser, but it malfunctioned and a physical altercation ensued. A second officer successfully deployed his own Taser, although that only temporarily disabled the man, who continued to resist arrest, the sheriff's office said. Officers finally got the man in custody and into an ambulance after hitting him with a Taser a second time.

The man continued to resist deputies inside the ambulance until paramedics were able to administer medication to calm him.

As of Sunday afternoon, the man was being treated and evaluated for mental health problems by doctors at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

It's not clear what caused the man's belligerent behavior, the sheriff's office said. Initial toxicology screens were negative.

Sheriff's deputies had not yet cited the man on Sunday.

jdobner@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jenniferdobner