Gunnison Valley PD chief reports busy month marked by DUI, kidnapping arrests

CENTERFIELD—A driver arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence with a deadly blood alcohol concentration and a domestic violence case involving alleged kidnapping and strangulation highlighted a busy month for the Gunnison Valley Police Department, Chief Jason Adamson told the Centerfield City Council during its meeting Wednesday, July 15.

Adamson said department activity was up about 45% over its average, making it one of the busiest months the agency has experienced.

“We’re busier last month than we’ve ever been,” Adamson said.

Although the kidnapping and strangulation case occurred in Gunnison, Adamson said it was one of the department’s most significant recent investigations.

“It was a domestic situation,” he said. “It involved strangulation … broken ribs, things like that. It was really bad.”

Adamson said the suspect remains in custody.

“He’s in jail right now,” he said. “I booked him in. It was a good arrest.”

Closer to Centerfield, Adamson highlighted the arrest of an impaired driver after a citizen reported suspicious behavior.

According to Adamson, officers stopped the vehicle near Miller’s Travel Center after receiving information that the driver had been drinking and was in possession of firearms. Although officers initially encountered confusion while trying to locate the suspect, the driver was eventually stopped and arrested.

The driver’s blood alcohol concentration measured .358, which is more than seven times Utah’s legal limit of .05.

“That would kill any of us who are not drinkers,” Adamson said. “They were behind the wheel.”

Despite the extremely high alcohol level in his blood, Adamson said the suspect showed little evidence of poor driving before being stopped.

“He failed almost all the field sobriety tests,” Adamson said. “But when he drove past us, I was surprised. He was just driving normal, really not much of a driving pattern at all.”

Adamson said the arrest likely prevented a serious crash.

“I’m just glad he didn’t hit anybody between there and here, because that would have been bad,” he said.

The chief also noted the incident led to an unrelated arrest after officers discovered the individual who initially reported the incident had three outstanding no-bail warrants.

Beyond those two cases, Adamson reported 27 calls for service in Centerfield during the reporting period, with civil disputes making up a notable portion of the workload. He said such calls often require officers to spend significant time educating residents because police cannot resolve civil disagreements.

The department is also preparing to transition to a new computer-aided dispatch and records management system by the beginning of next year. Adamson said the new system will provide more accurate reporting and allow officers to analyze crime trends through tools such as heat maps to better direct patrols.

In addition, the department recently completed installation of Axon in-car camera systems, funded primarily through grant money.

Looking ahead, Adamson reminded residents about the department’s Community Night Out in August, where officers plan to offer impaired-driving demonstrations using “drunk goggles” to educate children and families about the dangers of driving under the influence.