PRICE, UTAH – An allegation of domestic violence led to a man barricading himself in a bedroom and keeping police at a standoff for two hours.
On Monday at about 10:30 p.m. Price Police received a report of domestic violence. A man had allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman, according to Officer Timothy Robertson.
Police arrived at a home to find that a 44-year-old male, Russell T. Atwood, had barricaded himself in a bathroom.
Outside the bathroom, the pregnant woman told police Atwood had pushed his forearm against her abdomen.
The woman said she was six months pregnant.
She also said Atwood had been throwing things, according to Officer Robertson.
Officer Robertson said he could hear “pounding and banging” coming from the bedroom where Atwood was located.
Roberston says he identified himself to Atwood. Atwood told officers that they needed to leave, Robertson says.
Atwood replied said he was nailing the door shut, according to the police statement.
Atwood also said told the officers that he was not going down without a fight, Robertson says.
Officers say they attempted multiple times to get Atwood to open the door, to no avail.
Atwood told officers that he knew the male in any domestic violence situation gets arrested, even if the situation was not his fault, according to court documents.
He repeated his claim that he would not go without a fight, Robertson says.
Atwood told the officers that he had placed his arm against the woman’s abdomen, but it was accidentally done as he was getting out of bed.
Officers convinced Atwood to remove the nails that kept the door shut.
Police took Atwood into custody without incident.
Atwood was booked into Carbon County Jail on charges of domestic violence-related assault of a pregnant person, and disorderly conduct. The charges are all misdemeanors.
Atwood has three previous misdemeanor arrests with convictions, court documents show.
