CRIME
Man arrested after armed standoff at a Salt Lake resource center
Apr 30, 2023, 8:32 PM | Updated: 8:48 pm
FILE: Salt Lake City Police
SALT LAKE CITY — A man was taken into custody for refusing to give up his firearm at a resource center, causing it to evacuate residents Friday night.
Bridie Geeter, 33, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for two third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony charge of possessing a firearm by a restricted person, and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and criminal trespassing, according to the affidavit.
Salt Lake City police officers responded to the Gail Miller Resource Center after a 911 call of a resident with a gun.
When SLCPD officers arrived on the scene, witnesses told police that Geeter was a new resident at the shelter and was displaying a gun in his backpack. The shelter’s staff told Geeter he could not enter the facility with it and asked him to leave.
“Staff stated that the (Geeter) then appeared to be “‘on edge” and kept trying to get behind the front desk, which is a restricted area to the residents,” according to the affidavit.
Since Geeter wasn’t complying with their demands, shelter staff, and residents evacuated the building.
According to the affidavit, SLCPD officers entered a concealed area inside of the shelter and observed Geeter with a handgun behind the front desk. Shelter security footage showed the suspect pacing back and forth with the gun in his hand.
“(Geeter) then suddenly ran from behind the desk and up the stairs to where the dorm rooms are located,” according to the affidavit. “Multiple additional officers then entered the shelter, and the (suspect) came down and was placed into custody.”
Police found a 9mm handgun, with a chambered round, and an extended magazine containing an additional 15 rounds on the stairs that Geeter came from.
During a Post Miranda interview, Geeter claimed that “people were out there trying to get him” but didn’t believe anyone in the shelter “was a threat,” according to the affidavit. The suspect couldn’t explain why he felt threatened.
SLCPD officers noted that Geeter seemed paranoid and nervous. After a search of his belongings, officers found methamphetamine, which Geeter admitted to being a user of.
