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PANGUITCH — A Panguitch woman who was suicidal when she allegedly ran at a Garfield County sheriff's deputy more than once with a pair of scissors has been charged with attempted aggravated murder.
In addition to the first-degree felony charge, Stacy Clark is also charged in 6th District Court with two counts of assault by a prisoner, a third-degree felony, and two counts of assault on a health care provider, a class A misdemeanor.
The charges stem from an Aug. 5 incident at the Bryce Canyon Motel in Panguitch, according to a police report released Wednesday in response to a public records request.
Clark, 45, had locked herself "in the house part of the motel" and was threatening to harm herself, according to deputies who were able to see Clark through a window. As the deputies moved to the back door of the building, the door opened and they saw Clark was standing there. She had scissors in her hand and was bleeding from cuts on both wrists, the report states.
"She yelled for me to leave and started to cut herself again with the scissors," Garfield County sheriff's deputy Eric Houston wrote. "Deputy Pollock started into the residence and Clark raised the scissors toward him and yelled for him to, 'Get … out.' Clark then slammed the door."
The deputies kicked in the door and found Clark still armed with scissors and still cutting herself, the report states. Houston said he tried to subdue Clark with a Taser, but the weapon proved ineffective.
Clark, who still had the scissors in her right hand, responded by picking up a piece of wood from the splintered door frame with her left hand, Houston said. Then she charged at the second deputy while making verbal threats to kill both deputies, the report states.
"She backed into the room when Deputy Pollock and I retreated to gain space," Houston wrote. "She then charged at Deputy Pollock with the scissors going toward him."
She yelled for me to leave and started to cut herself again with the scissors. Deputy Pollock started into the residence and Clark raised the scissors toward him and yelled for him to, 'Get … out.' Clark then slammed the door.
–Garfield County sheriff's deputy Eric Houston
Houston said he drew his gun and pointed it at Clark, causing her to once again retreat. The other deputy was close enough to the woman to grab her and pin her against a wall, the report states.
Clark was handcuffed, but continued to fight and allegedly kicked both deputies.
"Clark was able to break free at one point and tried to kick an EMT that was working on her," Houston wrote, adding that Clark also tried to kick one of the nurses at Garfield Memorial Hospital.
When Houston booked Clark into the Garfield County Jail, he asked a judge to set her bail at $200,000 cash only based on her "history of trying to hurt herself," which had progressed to a point where she "attempted to kill a peace officer and has threatened to kill members of her family."
A judge granted the bail request and Clark remains in jail. A message left for Clark's attorney Wednesday was not immediately returned. A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Sept. 10.
