- A St. George man, Benjamin Hansen, fired over 150 rounds at officers, police say.
- Hansen's house was engulfed in fire and he was as arrested after a standoff.
- He allegedly told police he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.
ST. GEORGE — Police say a St. George man fired more than 150 rounds at officers before his house became engulfed in flames Tuesday.
Benjamin Lewis Hansen, 41, was booked into Washington County's jail for investigation of four counts of attempted aggravated murder, illegal shooting of a gun, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon with criminal intent and carrying a gun while under the influence.
St. George police were called about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday to a home near 3000 E. Seegmiller Drive on a report that Hansen had fired a gun from inside.
"Officers were able to call the victim and have them come outside to where they were located. Once the victim was outside, the suspect started to fire at officers. He struck several patrol vehicles and made it so officers had to take cover behind items to prevent from being struck by the suspect's gunfire," according to a police booking affidavit.
Four officers reported they were unable to take cover when Hansen started shooting, and that "once behind cover, (Hansen) was shooting at (them) in an effort to kill them," the affidavit alleges. "It was estimated that the suspect fired over 150 rounds at officers during the incident."
Officers returned fire, St. George Police Chief Kyle Whitehead said, and a SWAT team was brought in. The chief said Hansen continued to shoot at officers while the SWAT team contained the area.
Hansen finally came out of his house "only after the residence was engulfed in flames and he was suffering from smoke inhalation. He refused to cooperate with officers and a Taser had to be utilized to take him into custody," the affidavit states.
A woman told police that after being sober for about six years, Hansen had been fighting with her lately "as he has relapsed and started to drink heavily. She stated that the suspect has not been sleeping for the past several days" and that he may have also taken several prescription medications, the arrest report says.
"As (Hansen) was being booked, he indicated to jail staff that he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine," according to the affidavit.
Detectives say Hansen could face multiple charges when the Washington County Attorney's Office formally reviews the case.
Last year, Hansen pleaded guilty to assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child in connection with another incident at the same residence, according to court records.
"The dispatch information was confusing about who attacked whom. While en route to the incident, information came through that the male Benjamin Hansen was delusional and that he hadn't slept in two months," according to an arrest report from that incident.
He was taken into custody in that case and later charged with assaulting his wife. His guilty pleas were held in abeyance and would be dismissed once he completed several conditions. One of those was completing mental health counseling, according to court records.
In a letter submitted to the court in June, Hansen had completed seven psychiatric visits and was "following his treatment plan and taking his meds as prescribed," according to his psychiatrist. His next appointment was scheduled in two weeks.
