Davis County man who wanted to 'go out in a hail of glory' faces felony charges

SYRACUSE — A Clearfield man is facing felony charges after he claimed he wanted to "go out in a hail of glory" during a domestic violence response that ended with him being shot by police.

Kelly Scott Dicus, 43, was charged in 2nd District Court last week with domestic violence-related aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony; domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony; and interruption of a communication device, a class B misdemeanor.

Dicus's soon-to-be ex-wife served him an eviction notice in early October, requiring him to vacate her home after experiencing "ongoing domestic issues," the charges said. The next week, on Oct. 8, he gathered his belongings and left the Clearfield residence without incident.

But just after midnight on Oct. 9, the woman was sleeping on her sofa when a loud creaking noise from the door connecting to the garage woke her. Believing it to be one of her kids, she walked toward the door and turned on the light when she saw Dicus holding a "loaded, greenish-colored handgun equipped with a suppressor across his chest," the charges said.

The woman asked what he was doing there, and he said, "We need to talk," before forcing her upstairs into a corner where he verbally berated her and claimed she had "taken everything from him," according to the charges.

Dicus stated, "If the children woke up and called the police, he was 'going out in a hail of glory,' and he would 'make sure he took officers with him,'" the charges state.

The woman tried to call her adult son, who was not at the residence, to help calm Dicus down, but Dicus "quickly snatched the phone," swore at her and put it in his pocket, police said.

Dicus then sat down with the firearm resting in his lap, pointed in the direction of the woman, continued to verbally abuse her and refused to let her leave, the charges allege. During this time, he is accused of texting her adult son, saying, "If she calls the cops, I'm dead."

Dicus then left the home, returned to the front door, threw her phone at her and drove away in his truck. The woman called police after Dicus left, and officers located him and his vehicle a few miles away in Syracuse at a storage unit.

"When an armored tactical unit moved in to apprehend Dicus, he reversed his truck, failed to comply with police commands and was taken into custody following a tactical vehicle intervention and ultimately an officer-involved shooting," the charges state.

Police said Dicus attempted to flee in his truck, brandished and pointed a firearm at officers, then engaged in an armed standoff resulting in gunfire. Dicus was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.

He was booked into jail earlier this week after being released from the hospital. The Davis County Officer Involved Critical Incident Protocol Team is investigating the shooting, and Syracuse police said additional charges may be filed when the investigation is complete.

Police requested Dicus be detained until his trial because he poses a "lethal threat" to the victim, her children and the public.

"Only days prior to the charged offenses, neighbors witnessed Dicus shouting violent, homicidal threats targeting his estranged spouse outside the marital residence, declaring that he was going to kill her," the charges state.

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