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BRIGHTON — A resident of the town of Brighton is now facing criminal charges accusing him of pointing a shotgun at a snowboarder who mistakenly came onto his property.
Keith Robert Stebbings, 67, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and making a threat of violence, a class B misdemeanor.
On Feb. 26, Loren Richardson was snowboarding at Brighton Ski Resort when he went into the backcountry and rode near 7900 S. Old Prospect Ave. That's where Stebbings confronted Richardson with a shotgun, according to charging documents.
"Richardson mistakenly crossed over the property line, at which point Stebbings pointed the shotgun directly at Richardson. Stebbings proceeded to push Richardson several times with the shotgun in hand. During the altercation, Stebbings told Richardson he was on private property and, 'if you do it again there will be holes in you,'" the charges allege.
Richardson said he did not realize he had crossed onto private property and apologized to Stebbings several times, according to prosecutors.
"Stebbings continued holding the gun on his side while pushing Richardson. Officers were unable to locate any private property signage in the area of the resort from which Richardson entered Stebbings' property," the charges state.
"He's standing there like out of a scary movie with this gun in hand, looking straight at us with a chair behind him," Richardson told KSL-TV. "It was terrifying."
The confrontation was recorded on a cellphone and sparked a reaction from Brighton Mayor Dan Koop who acknowledged that while skiers and snowboarders shouldn't be in that area, it is a common occurrence and residents trying to intimidate backcountry skiers with a gun is unacceptable.
