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Bail enforcement officers tackle 16-year-old during soccer game in Provo after mistaking him for suspect

Posted at 8:32 PM, Feb 27, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-28 00:08:18-05

PROVO, Utah — During an indoor soccer game Sunday in Provo, a teenage boy was tackled and detained by bail bondsmen who mistook him for a wanted suspect.

Provo Police said the Utah State Bail Enforcement Agency requested their help Sunday around 5:30 p.m. to help apprehend a suspect at the Peaks Ice Arena. The suspect, whose name was not publicly released, was wanted for aggravated assault and illegal firearm possession.

Bondsmen located a person playing in an indoor soccer match who they thought was the suspect. They then "took him to the ground," according to a statement from the police department.

One Provo officer helped detain the individual. However, they soon realized that he was not the suspect, but rather a 16-year-old boy. The teen was then released, and officers "immediately communicated" with his family who were there at the arena.

Police said they correctly identified the suspect at the arena a short time later, and the bondsmen took him into custody "without further incident."