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SALT LAKE CITY -- KSL 5 News requested and received a copy of the police report involving the trespassing controversy on Main Street Plaza last week. Now we have official word of what we have been reading about on blogs since Friday.
The police report says an officer arrived at 10:34 Thursday night on a trespassing call. Church security had asked Matthew Aune and Derek Jones to leave the property for what the security guard called "kissing and hugging." When the men refused, security detained them and called police.
"Matt told me that security guards slammed him to the ground," the police officer wrote in his report. "I asked him, ‘Why?' He told me that he and his boyfriend, Derek, had been drinking at the Gallivan Center and they just came through Main St. He said they sat down and he gave Derek a kiss."
"I asked Nickel (church security officer) if they slammed him to the ground," the officer continued. "Nickel said they did not slam him to the ground when they put handcuffs on him."
The officer also noted the physical appearance of the men: "I did not see any signs of injury on either. I could smell alcohol on Matt's breath and his speech was slightly slurred when he spoke to me." [CLICK HERE to read the entire police report]
KSL News tried again Monday to contact Matthew Aune and Derek Jones to get their reaction, but we have not received a response.
Sunday morning, Salt Lake City Police officers were again called to Main Street Plaza, this time to address a public demonstration in support of Aune and Jones.
KSL News asked members of Equality Utah, a gay rights group, if they had a comment on the gathering. In a brief statement the group said they "support Utahns in exercising their right to protest in a non-violent and even loving manner."
E-mail: cmikita@ksl.com
