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LEHI — Criminal charges have been filed against a man from Saratoga Springs accused of violating health regulations after he hosted a large Halloween party in a Lehi warehouse building.
Scott Brown, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct; creating, contributing to, or supporting a public nuisance; violating health regulations and unsafe conditions, according to court documents.
"Slowing the spread of COVID-19 takes the entire community: law enforcement, public health, elected officials and individuals," said Joe Dougherty, spokesman for Unified Command. "Lehi City made an important decision to enforce a public health order. Our hospitals are getting overcrowded. And we will soon see degraded health care for people who need it most."
Lehi City Police Department released a statement on Friday saying that they responded to a nuisance complaint of an organized event located at the warehouse on Halloween. Lehi police reported that they were able to disperse the crowd and shut down the party without incident. When approached by police, event organizers cooperated with officers.
The health department issued a statement on Nov. 1, following the party.
"The organizers of the Halloween Protest are encouraging the direct opposite of public health and medical guidance. They claim to want to get life 'back to normal.' Their actions and the actions they are encouraging will cause a further increase in COVID-19 cases and push the time of 'back to normal' that much further away. The actions of the organizers and attendees are dangerous to themselves, our communities, our healthcare system, and our efforts to combat COVID-19," the statement reads.
The nuisance and violation of health regulations charges are class B misdemeanors. Violating health regulations can result in six months of jail time and up to a $1,000 fine. According to the department of health, party organizers failed to secure a permit for the gathering.
The property owner has also been charged with a nuisance violation, a fire code violation and a health order violation, according to police.
"We highly discourage large gatherings like this; it's highly irresponsible," one health department official said Friday.
The warehouse building is located on 401 S. 850 East; the party was one of two being investigated in Utah County.
