Bystander threatened with knife and ashtray while helping store clerk

ST. GEORGE — A man was arrested for aggravated assault after threatening a bystander with a knife outside a convenience store early Wednesday morning.

Daniel John Reedy Jr., of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted April 25, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Shortly after 1 a.m. a man, later identified as 25-year-old Daniel John Reedy Jr., of St. George, entered Maverik – Adventure’s First Stop, located at 1880 W. Sunset Blvd., and “attempted to start a fight with the store clerk,” St. George Police officer Lona Trombley said.

Reedy entered the store unlawfully after being officially trespassed on March 27, which prohibited him from returning to the property, according to police.

A customer inside the store witnessed the altercation and saw that Reedy was holding a folded pocket knife in his hand, prompting the bystander to intercede on the clerk’s behalf by physically removing Reedy from the store.

Reedy allegedly began physically fighting with the bystander outside of the store and during the struggle attempted to open the knife he was holding. The bystander eventually was able to get Reedy to drop the knife, Trombley said.

Once the “threat was removed,” Trombley said, the passerby disengaged himself from the confrontation by reentering the store.

Minutes later, the bystander left the store and was confronted by Reedy who was holding a large outdoor ashtray that he picked up from the sidewalk outside the store.

Witnesses told police that Reedy ran toward the bystander in a threatening manner, Trombley said. Fearing for his safety, the bystander was able to duck behind vehicles in the parking lot to avoid being struck by the large metal object.

A second bystander witnessed the incident, attempted to intervene and called 911, Trombley said. Within minutes officers arrived and took Reedy into custody.

He was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked on aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and criminal trespass, a class C misdemeanor, and is currently being held on $5,680 bail.

Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap said Reedy faces the aggravated assault charge due to the incident involving use or threat with a weapon that was present at the scene. First, the alleged threat of using a knife, as well as the large outdoor metal ashtray, which could have caused severe bodily harm to the bystander if he would have been struck by it.

No serious injuries were reported.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

5 Comments

  • comments April 25, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    If a “bystander” physically intervened (and quite physically in this case) is he still defined as a bystander?

    • ladybugavenger April 26, 2018 at 2:31 pm

      He is referred to as a “bystander” and a “passerby” LOL.

  • Larry April 26, 2018 at 7:59 am

    I never go to a knife fight….or an ashtray fight without a gun. In this state and city, Mr stupid is lucky he was not shot.

  • Striker4 April 26, 2018 at 3:13 pm

    lucky Maverik. nothing like free advertisement

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.