HURRICANE, Utah — A 42-year-old Alabama man is facing several charges in Utah after police say he barricaded himself in a Washington County jail and falsely reported that armed men had entered the building.
Kevin Firmstone was arrested on July 1 and faces charges of emergency reporting abuse, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle without insurance. He is being held without bail as detectives believe him to be a flight risk.
Court documents submitted by the Hurricane City Police Department state that on July 1 at around 3:13 a.m., officers were called to the jail for a barricaded man with a gun. Officers were warned there may be two additional suspects inside the front office who were armed, and a man was seen barricading the front door with benches.
However, when officers arrived, they learned that Firmstone was the man inside the office and had called the police on himself. Camera footage allegedly showed Firmstone stacking the benches against the door before pulling out his phone to call 9-1-1.
Hurricane police spotted a man, matching the description they were given of Firmstone, fleeing on foot from the jail. When officers attempted to stop the man, he allegedly began waving around a dark object in his hand and pointing it at officers.
Officers drew their weapons and gave orders to the man, which he complied with.
When Firmstone was taken into custody, he told officers that he was an undercover police officer, something investigators say was false. Firmstone also admitted that he didn't have a gun and was alone.
Sheriff's office officials conducted a sweep of the property and confirmed there was no additional threat.
Following his arrest, police reviewed security footage of the property. They learned that Firmstone had been on the property for some time before calling into dispatch to make the false report.
In the video, Firmstone was recorded driving through the sheriff's office parking lot recklessly and almost colliding with several vehicles. At one point, he allegedly returned to the public roadway before accelerating through the perimeter fence on the property and almost colliding with a federally owned vehicle.
Firmstone also allegedly almost struck the building with the vehicle before he left it, still rolling towards the property.
When Firmstone went inside the jail's public access area, he allegedly started stacking benches in front of the door before calling 9-1-1 to report someone with a gun in the jail.
In the false report, Firmstone stated that two Hispanic males had guns in the jail.
