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SALT LAKE CITY — An Ephraim man with a lengthy history of violence toward police officers was charged Tuesday with committing more crimes against police, just five days after being released from jail on yet another conviction of assaulting an officer.
Lee Greenhalgh, 53, is charged in 6th District Court with two counts of assault against a police officer, a third-degree felony; failing to stop at the command of police and violation of a protective order, class A misdemeanors; and refusing to comply with a police order, an infraction.
On Monday, Ephraim police responded to Main Street on a protective order violation. Police say Greenhalgh disobeyed officers' commands to stop and continued walking backward. As he walked away from officers, "Lee unfastened his belt which had a large metal western-style buckle on the end," according to a Sanpete County Jail report.
Greenhalgh, who "had previously been convicted of an assault using a belt as a weapon," raised his belt at an officer in an "aggressive manner," according to the report.
Another officer deployed a Taser on Greenhalgh and took him into custody.
The incident came just five days after Greenhalgh was released from jail for his previous conviction of assaulting a police officer, the report states.
Greenhalgh pleaded no contest in March to assault on a police officer, a second-degree felony, according to court records. He was sentenced to probation on April 17 and released from jail after being convicted of attempting to hit officers with a hammer on Nov. 7. When he was taken to jail, Greenhalgh attempted to hit deputies with his belt buckle, the charges state.
On Aug. 4, Greenhalgh was arrested and later charged with assaulting an officer in Richfield. In that case, a very intoxicated Greenhalgh threatened to kill the owner of a motel, and then kill officers who attempted to arrest him, according to a Sevier County Jail report. Greenhalgh again allegedly attempted to use his belt as a weapon.
In 2010, he was convicted of being a restricted person in possession of a weapon and sentenced to up to five years in prison. During sentencing, there was discussion about whether prison or jail would best serve Greenhalgh's mental health needs, according to court records.
"There is discussion about how to keep the defendant on his medication," the court docket states.
In 2009, Greenhalgh was convicted of failing to stop for police and sentenced to up to five years in prison, according to court records.
In 2003, Greenhalgh was charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer and being in possession of a dangerous weapon. The case was later dismissed. There was also discussion during that case about his mental health and staying on medication, according to court records.
Likewise, in 2000 he was charged with assault on a police officer. That charged was dismissed when Greenhalgh pleaded guilty and mentally ill to a second charge of assault by a prisoner.
