Utah man who fired at police pleads responsible to disarming an officer

WEST JORDAN — A Utah man has pleaded responsible to grabbing a police officer’s gun as a part of a plea deal wherein expenses for firing at an officer with that gun have been dismissed.

Eric Wyatt Pectol, 53, stated in his plea deal assertion he was in a visitors accident on Sept. 17, 2020, and when an officer discovered him in a close-by area, he advised the officer he had a gun. He additional states he didn’t have a gun, however when the officer’s gun fell. Petcol grabbed it from the bottom.

Petcol was driving a motorbike on the time of the crash, and collided with a truck. The responding officer realized the person didn’t have a gun, and deployed his Taser whereas Petcol was operating towards him, however it had no impact. Petcol and the officer then obtained right into a bodily combat, and the officer pulled out his gun however dropped it in the course of the battle, after dropping his footing, courtroom paperwork state.

A second officer reported seeing Petcol choose up the gun and level it on the first officer after which level it at that second officer. Officer John Saulnier stated he “noticed the muzzle flash and heard the snap of the bullet coming by him,” after Petcol fired towards him and missed. The second officer then fired again and hit Petcol 4 occasions.

Petcol was initially charged with disarming a police officer, a first-degree felony; two counts of assault towards a police officer and possession of a gun by a restricted particular person, second-degree felonies; and unlawful capturing of a gun, a third-degree felony.

He finally pleaded responsible earlier this month solely to disarming a police officer, and the opposite 4 counts have been dismissed.

The plea says Petcol’s lawyer, Julie George, will argue for any sentence to be served concurrent along with his present jail sentence for a 2017 conviction for theft and drug possession. He was on parole for that when the capturing occurred.

Petcol will likely be sentenced June 28.