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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of threatening to shoot two other men because he thought they had stolen his pet raccoon, according to police, now faces several charges.
Daniel Joseph Chivers, 43, was charged this week with two counts of aggravated kidnapping in the course of committing unlawful detention, illegal discharge of a firearm and possession of a gun by a restricted person, all third-degree felonies; and drug possession, a class A misdemeanor.
The investigation on July 31 began when two men at an underpass near 25 N. Redwood Road who were near an RV heard either a shot or shots fired near them, according to charging documents.
"Witnesses reported seeing a firearm used which was bedazzled with plastic jewels," the charges state.
"Both (men) said that they had heard gunshots coming from the RV, and that Chivers came to them and forced them over to the area of the RV with a gun. They said that Chivers was upset because he believed that someone had stolen his pet raccoon. They said that Chivers threatened to shoot them in the head and was also using continuous homosexual slurs," according to the charges.
While allegedly being detained, one of the man was able to sneak away to a nearby gas station and call police for help. Upon an officer's arrival, Chivers drove away but was quickly pulled over, the charges state. A baggie with meth inside was found in one of his pockets, according to the charges.
Police conducted a safety sweep of the RV, where "a handgun was seen on the kitchen table of the RV, a rifle was seen next to the couch in the RV, and syringes were seen on the floor," according to the charges. Based on that information, officers were able to get a search warrant for a more thorough check of the RV.
"A search of the RV yielded a handgun in the overhead storage over the driver's seat. The handgun had plastic jewels, was loaded and the magazine with a 12-round capacity was missing three rounds. The rifle found by the couch was found to be an air rifle, and the handgun on the kitchen counter was a BB gun designed to look like a handgun. Multiple syringes, a THC pen, and a live raccoon were also located inside the RV," the charges state.
Chivers has a lengthy criminal history and is a former Public Enemy No. 1 of the Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit.
