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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake police on Monday deployed a Taser on a man who they say threatened them with an ax after he had burglarized a Smith's grocery store.
William Montero, 36, is accused of "prying open doors" at the store at 455 S. 500 East around 5 a.m. while armed with the ax, according to a police affidavit filed.
The incident occured on Montero's birthday, according to court records.
When confronted by a store employee, police say Montero ran away but did not threaten employees with the ax.
Officers said they quickly found Montero in the parking lot of a nearby business.
"When officers ordered (Montero) to stop multiple times, he continued running away from them. (Montero) then turned around and raised the ax above his head making threatening gestures at the four officers while back-tracking," the affidavit states.
Officers then tased him. Police said neither Montero, officers nor store employees were injured during the incident.
Officers found several hundred dollars' worth of merchandise belonging to the business, according to a statement from Salt Lake police.
After he was medically cleared, Montero was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated burglary, theft, failure to stop at the command of a police officers, aggravated assault on a police officer, criminal mischief and giving false information to an officer.
Montero pleaded guilty last year to failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop as he was found driving a vehicle with the incorrect license plate, court records state. In 2020, he was charged with shoplifting and accused of stealing from a Sportsman's Warehouse, but charges in that case were later dismissed.
