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Whit Johnson and Andrew Adams reportingA loud party overnight in Ogden quickly turned into a long standoff Sunday when authorities learned women were being held inside against their will.
Seventeen people are behind bars on charges ranging from aggravated kidnapping to assault. It took multiple law enforcement agencies to resolve this situation. Eventually, tear gas was used to get people out of the home on 3535 Madison Ave. Authorities described the situation as extremely dangerous and say the outcome could have been much worse.
Jessica Bergen was one of several neighbors awakened by noise from the party. She said, "I just heard the police say, ‘Open the door! Get on the floor!'"
Police got the first calls just before midnight Saturday, and then they began getting calls of a different nature. Ogden City police Lt. Mike Ashment said, "A couple of calls from females who are inside the same residence, who are reporting that they are inside this residence being held against their will."
Ogden police say the home has a history of gang activity, and when the people inside would not disperse, officers sought help from gang detectives, the SWAT team and the Utah Highway Patrol. "There was some report that at least one of the males inside this home had a handgun," Ashment said.
During hours of negotiations, officers were able to get some of the victims out safely and some of the suspects into custody. But there were still people who refused to come out of the house. "We had to react, and without their cooperation, they forced our hand," Ashment said.
Police obtained a search warrant and eventually deployed tear gas into the home. Bergen said, "Around 4:00, I believe it was about 15 guys getting arrested."
Ultimately, 17 people were arrested, including three juveniles. Thirteen victims escaped with only minor injuries. "[There are] a lot of people in custody, a lot of people being booked into jail, a lot of officers busy writing reports," Ashment said.
Police say some of the victims actually escaped out of a window. They were allegedly physically forced to stay in the home, but police do not believe that any sexual assaults occurred. Police do not have a motive in this case. Lt. Ashment says many of those arrested are known gang members.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
