SWAT officers arrest Iron County man accused of making threats to VA workers

Iron County Sheriff's Office vehicle near Cedar City, Utah, Sept,. 15, 2020 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A man wanted in connection with making hundreds of threats to U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Health Care workers in both Salt Lake City and St. George has been taken into custody in Cedar City.

According to a news release issued Wednesday afternoon by Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Aaron David Kirschner was arrested after surrendering to Iron Metro SWAT officers who went to his home to serve federal warrants in connection with the case.

Charging documents filed in federal court on Monday accuse the 48-year-old Kirschner of making more than 600 calls to the George E. Wahlen Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City between March 24 and March 27, many of which threatened hospital employees with death or serious bodily harm.

Examples of statements allegedly made by Kirschner during the phone calls included the following, as cited in the charging documents: “You are going to die; Nobody is going home today; You think I am joking but I am not,” and, “You are not to hang up again, because if you do, I will put you to the ground and you will not get to see your family again.”

As previously reported in St. George News, the VA facilities in both Salt Lake City and St. George were closed on Tuesday as a result of the threats.

Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter told Cedar City News that the SWAT team served the warrants about 10:18 a.m. Wednesday at Kirschner’s residence in an unincorporated area west of Cedar City, near Old Irontown.

After speaking with negotiators, Kirschner surrendered at approximately 10:45 a.m., according to the news release.

The St. George VA Clinic, located at 230 North 1680 East, Building N, was closed after staff reported threats made against themselves, veterans and the facility, March 29, 2022 | Photo from St. George VA Clinic Facebook page, St. George News

As he was being taken into custody, Kirschner reportedly told the team members he had taken an overdose of medications in a suicide attempt.

“He was immediately evaluated by our team doctor and then transported to Cedar City Hospital for further medical treatment and clearance,” the news release stated, adding that once he has been medically cleared, Kirschner will be turned over to VA authorities to face criminal charges.

Carpenter said he expects that Kirschner will be transported directly to Salt Lake City by federal agents.

“We are grateful to the local community for their patience and support during this operation,” the sheriff’s office statement concluded. “Especially those who encouraged Mr. Kirschner to seek help, which helped ensure a peaceful resolution.”

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials 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.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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