WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — A man was arrested Friday night in southern Utah after attempting to take police officers' weapons during a traffic stop, then grabbing a gun from a backpack in his vehicle, according to police.
According to an arrest report, an officer with the Washington City Police Department pulled over 48-year-old Jay Scott Taylor for windshield obstruction and improper registration. During the traffic stop, police say a K-9 performed a "free air sniff" around the outside of the vehicle with a positive result.
A sergeant responded to assist, and as the officers attempted to take Taylor into custody, he allegedly began to fight with them. Court documents say he grabbed one officer's gun with both hands, attempting to disarm him, then tried to take the other officer's taser from his holster.
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Police say Taylor broke away from the officers and ran back to his vehicle and grabbed a backpack from inside. As officers grabbed him again, he allegedly pulled a handgun from the backpack. The officers were then able to disarm him and put him in handcuffs. They said during the struggle, another handgun fell out of the backpack and both were loaded.
Taylor was then arrested on two felony counts each of aggravated assault, disarming a police officer, and possessing a firearm by a restricted person. Police said they discovered he had been convicted of a felony in Texas. He also faces misdemeanor charges of failure to stop at the command of law enforcement and interference with an arresting officer.
While the report said the K-9 indicated positive when sniffing around the outside of the vehicle, police did not state whether or not they found drugs of any sort.
Taylor reportedly told police that a family member had given him the vehicle about three months ago, and police said the plates were still those of the previous owner. The "windshield obstruction" was a "large" Hawaiian lei hanging from the rear-view mirror blocked visibility, according to police.
