Man arrested following altercation at pool near Dixie State, police find bullet hole in wall

St. George police officers on scene after gunshots were reported at The Vintage at Tabernacle campus housing, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2020 | Photo by Aspen Stoddard, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A 22-year-old man has been booked on multiple charges including aggravated assault and discharging a firearm inside city limits following an altercation Sunday afternoon at the Vintage Tabernacle.

According to a statement written by St. George Police Officer Doug Iverson at around 2:50 p.m. on Sunday, St. George Police officers were dispatched to the area of 852 E. Tabernacle St. at the Vintage Tabernacle on the report of a weapon offense.

SWAT, Dixie State University Campus Police and Gold Cross Ambulance also responded to the call, and officers were stationed around the building. St. George police officers were warning people to stay away from the building as it had been reported that a gun was fired inside.

According to the statement, the suspect, later identified as Dmytro Luke, was at in his residence that overlooked the pool area and engaged in a verbal confrontation with two males who were in the swimming pool area.

To end the verbal confrontation, according to the statement, Luke presented a firearm that witnesses observed in his possession.

A video was sent over social media, with Luke displaying the firearm and saying “something to the effect of the males at the pool should not be messing with him,” Iverson said in the statement.

Dmytro Luke, 21, of St. George, booking photo taken in Washington County, Utah, May 3, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

According to the statement, a short time after the video was observed, a single gunshot was heard coming from the area of Luke’s room.

As a result of the discharge, individuals at the pool were extremely alarmed and dispersed from the area.

After a search of Luke’s room and car, the firearm and spent shell casing were allegedly located.

A bullet hole in the wall was also discovered, “with the trajectory consistent with the round being fired towards the swimming pool,” Iverson said in the statement.

A grinder with suspected marijuana was also found.

Luke was detained and a further investigation ensued.

Luke was found to have been allegedly consuming alcohol and marijuana prior to the incident, which made him a restricted person in possession of a firearm.

Based on the investigation, Luke was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility on $11,360 bail where he was booked on charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, discharge of a firearm inside city limits, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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