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SALT LAKE CITY — Criminal charges have been filed against a man accused of randomly stabbing a guest at a motel, chasing another woman with a knife and attempting to attack a police officer.
Benjamin Caleb Peterson, 21, who is listed in court documents as homeless, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; aggravated assault and disarming a police officer, third-degree felonies; assault on a police officer and spitting on police, class A misdemeanors.
On Dec. 31, Unified police were called to the InTown Suites, 151 W. 7200 South, just after 1 a.m. on a report of a guest being assaulted.
Peterson's girlfriend later told police that the couple had been living at the motel for about a month, when on that morning he "began to act erratic," grabbed a knife and told her to run, according to charging documents.
Peterson chased the woman through the motel hallway with a knife, the charges state. Another woman who was staying at the motel heard the commotion and opened her door to see what was happening.
Peterson then turned his attention to that woman, and head-butted her in her chest, causing the woman to fall backward into her room, according to the charges. Peterson is accused of then following her into the room, straddling her, and then punching her in the face before stabbing her, causing a punctured lung.
When police arrived, they found Peterson lying in a stairwell holding a pair of scissors, according to the charges. Peterson allegedly lunged at officers and then dropped the knife, but continued to advance on police.
An officer used his Taser on Peterson, causing him to fall to the next stairwell. But Peterson got up and grabbed the officer's Taser and tried to take it away from him, according to the charges. The officer tased Peterson a second time, "which had minimal effect."
Police say Peterson "destroyed the wires from the cartridge," prompting officers to "drive stun" him with a Taser and place him in custody as he continued to resist and spit on officers.
