SALT LAKE CITY — The police chief in Mantua, currently on paid leave while the town investigates an arrest that left a 76-year-old man bloodied, was charged with impersonating a police officer years before he really became one.
The police chief, Dakota Midkiff, reached an agreement with prosecutors where he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace, and the impersonation count was dismissed. But the man Midkiff pulled over back in 2013 is not pleased that Midkiff now has a real badge and gun.
“I don't think he'd be a very good police officer,” William Copper told FOX 13 in an interview. “I think he's got some, got some issues.”
The Box Elder Journal first reported on Midkiff’s conviction when Mantua hired him as police chief back in 2022. Reached this week by FOX 13, Midkiff pointed to what he told the newspaper.
“I believe I was only 20 years old at the time and have since learned from all my past mistakes,” Midkiff told the Journal. “…it was not right for me to have behaved that way and I take full responsibility for my actions.”
Records entered into the court file show the Copper encountered Midkiff the night of Oct. 11, 2013, near Oasis, a small northeast Nevada town between Elko and the Utah line. Copper says he was on his way to pick his wife up from work.
“I got pulled over by a white vehicle,” Copper told FOX 13. “It had red and blue lights on top.”
“Him and his buddy got out of the car,” Copper said, “and they walked up, started harassing me.”
Midkiff was not a police officer back then. He had earlier worked in private security and drove a sedan with a flashing light bar on top, according to records.
Copper says he told Midkiff, “I don't see a badge on you.”
Copper says Midkiff replied: “I don't have to show you an effing badge.”
“And he said, ‘I ought to just shoot you.’”
Copper says Midkiff and his passengers detained him for about 30 minutes.
“And they said,” Copper recalled, “‘Well, you're not the guy we're looking for, so we're going to have to let you go.’”
Copper reported what happened to the Elko County Sheriff's Office. According to a report from the agency included in the court file, Midkiff told a real deputy Copper was driving fast and he knew the sheriff was short staffed.
After the plea bargain, a judge sentenced Copper to 48 hours in the Elko County Jail.
Under Utah law, misdemeanor convictions do not prevent someone from becoming a peace officer, though they can create waiting periods before entering the state’s police academies. Individual police forces are free to consider such histories when making hiring decisions.
Public records show Midkiff worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office beginning in 2020. Then he worked for Wendover police before joining Mantua in 2022.
Mantua placed Midkiff on leave after an Oct. 5 arrest. There was a family dispute at a home belonging to a retired wildlife agent’s daughter.
The 76-year-old retiree arrived after Midkiff. The chief told him to leave. After some discussion, Midkiff went to arrest the man for failing to obey commands. Midkiff took the retiree to the ground, leaving a cut on his face and blackened eyes.