SWAT TEAM DEPLOYED TO DE-ESCALTE INCIDENT
By: Sachet A. Sullivan
A remote property in the Utah desert became the scene of a tense standoff late Sunday night, as a man barricaded himself in a trailer for nearly four hours after allegedly threatening his neighbors with a firearm.
John Randall Gorecki, 65, was arrested and booked into the Iron County Jail after a nearly four-hour long standoff with police Sunday evening.
The incident began after Iron County Sheriff’s deputies received a report of a man brandishing a firearm at another individual and his girlfriend near 6000 N. 8000 W. in the Beryl area.
According to court records filed in 5th District Court, Gorecki had been living in an RV on the property of the man he allegedly threatened.
The two began arguing earlier in the evening, with Gorecki reportedly accusing the man of being a thief and stealing his Alka-Seltzer. As the accusations continued, the victim told Gorecki he was being evicted and needed to remove his belongings from the property.
In response, Gorecki allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and threatened to kill the victim and his girlfriend.
The victim told authorities he believed Gorecki was going to shoot him, so “he put his head down and drove away.”
While on the phone with police, the victim returned to the property to retrieve his girlfriend, who had remained there during the altercation. As he approached, police could hear him screaming, “He’s going to shoot us!”
Police attempted to make contact with Gorecki in his trailer, but he refused to open the door.
After repeated attempts to contact the suspect over the phone and police PA system, Iron County SWAT Team was dispatched to the scene.
More commands were given but the suspect still refused to come outside, even after SWAT deployed tear gas and breached the trailer door.
“Gorecki did not comply. Gorecki’s door was breached, and he still did not come out of the trailer. Iron County SWAT put CS gas in the trailer and Gorecki still refused to come out,” the affidavit states.
The suspect eventually surrendered himself over to authorities without further incident.
INDIVIDUALS LISTED ON THIS PAGE HAVE BEEN BOOKED INTO IRON COUNTY JAIL AND ARE ACCUSED OF THE FOLLOWING CRIMES BUT ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.
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