Attempted suicide call ends with two brothers in jail

Salt Lake City police say they responded to a report of a drug-addled man attempting suicide early Wednesday morning only to end up fighting off both the purported victim and his brother.

Police Sgt. Cody Lougy said officers and paramedics rushed to an apartment at 1665 S. Riverside Drive (1045 West) about 1:40 a.m. after the suicidal man's brother called 911, indicating his sibling was trying to kill himself after overdosing on cocaine and methamphetamine.

Lougy said emergency personnel found the 22-year-old man in an upstairs bedroom with a belt around his neck and under a blanket, appearing to be limp. Thinking him to be unconscious, two officers were assisting paramedics in taking the man to the ambulance when he suddenly began fighting them.

One of the officers was punched in the face and kicked in the groin; a second officer then shocked the man with his Taser, Lougy said.

The struggle and deployment of the Taser enraged the man's 20-year-old brother who then began fighting with the officers as the party moved outside. As additional officers arrived at the scene, the two brothers both were handcuffed.

After the siblings were cleared by paramedics, both were booked into Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of assault on a police officer and interfering with an arrest. Jail records listed the older brother as South African while the younger brother was Sudanese.

Two officers suffered scrapes and bruises in the fracas, for which they were treated at the scene, Lougy said.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims