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MURRAY — A state law enforcer is recovering from injuries after being attacked by a couple during a stolen vehicle investigaiotn.
James Cameron Rich Tabler, 29, and Skyline White Mortensen, 26, were arrested Thursday and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of a number of charges including assault on a police officer and being in a stolen vehicle. Tabler was also arrested for suspicion of aggravated robbery, forcible sexual abuse and obstruction of justice.
An officer with the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division responded Thursday at about noon to a Walgreen's parking lot near 5600 South 900 East on a report of a possible stolen vehicle. As the officer arrived in the area, Tabler got out of the car.
"Upon approach to the vehicle, the suspect exited and attacked the officer. The suspect head-butted, bit, punched and kicked the officer repeatedly," according to a police booking affidavit.
Tabler also repeatedly grabbed and pulled the officer's genitals, the affidavit states, causing severe pain and potential injury.
Mortensen, who is Tabler's girlfriend, then came out of a nearby store and joined in the attack, "which resulted in head injury and other ailments to the officer. (Tabler) then instructed the girlfriend to hold the officer back while he attempted to steal the officer's patrol vehicle," according to the affidavit.
The officer was able to break free from Mortensen and attempted to stop Tabler from taking his marked patrol vehicle. He reached in the SUV and attempted to take the keys just as Tabler put the patrol vehicle in drive, the affidavit states. The officer was able to put the gear back into park and take the keys away.
Backup units began to arrive at this time and took Tabler and Mortensen into custody.
According to the affidavit, Tabler "swallowed an unknown amount of heroin" prior to being arrested.
After being taken into custody, Mortensen said she thought the officer was just a security guard, according to her police booking affidavit.
"Shylene claims to have not noticed the marked police SUV where the fight was occurring," the affidavit states.
An update on the officer's condition was not immediately available Friday.
Tabler and Mortensen are also suspects in a home burglary that happened right before the incident in the parking lot, the affidavit states.
According to court records, Tabler was convicted of assaulting a police officer by punching him in the face and grabbing his Taser in 2019. He was sentenced to up to five years in the Utah State Prison. That sentence was ordered to run concurrently with his conviction and sentence for burglary in 2018 in which he was also sentenced to up to five years in prison.
