This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A naked, mentally disturbed running man brought downtown Salt Lake City traffic to a halt before finally being subdued with a shock from a Taser, police say.
About 4:15 p.m. Monday, Salt Lake City police dispatchers received several 911 calls about a man who had suddenly shed his clothing to run through stalled traffic near 300 West and 400 South, pounding on several cars and waiving a screwdriver.
Salt Lake City police Sgt. Brandon Shearer said officers tried to take him into custody, but when confronted the 55-year-old man put the screwdriver to his chest and threatened to kill himself. That was when an officer, fearing for the safety of the man and those around him, stunned him with a Taser.
He was not seriously injured, but was taken to the hospital for a physical and mental health evaluation.
No charges were anticipated. "All indications are this was a mental health issue," Shearer said.
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