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Central Utah police chief resigns, under investigation

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Central Utah police chief resigns, under investigation


SALT LAKE CITY — The chief of the Gunnison Valley Police Department submitted his resignation this week and is under criminal investigation, according to an attorney.

Seth Hendrickson was named the department’s chief in late 2020. The department board was “not happy” with how the police force was being operated, said Kevin Daniels, who is the Sanpete County Attorney and also works as legal counsel to the board.

“He had been absent from work for a significant amount of time,” Daniels said Thursday in an interview with FOX 13 News, “without proper communication to the board.”

He said other officers were “not aware of office policies” under Hendrickson’s leadership and that the department’s evidence room was not being kept “as good as it should have been.”

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Daniels, who in his county attorney role is responsible for prosecuting defendants, clarified: “It did not rise to the level of affecting the integrity of any of the ongoing cases.”

Hendrickson, 41, did not return messages seeking comment.

Daniels anticipated being able to release documents concerning problems at Gunnison Valley after paperwork is finished to complete Hendrickson’s resignation.

Gunnison Valley protects the towns of Gunnison and Centerfield in Sanpete County.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed detectives there are conducting a criminal investigation of Hendrickson. The spokesman declined to elaborate.

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“The only thing I can confirm,” Daniels said, “is [detectives] did come down to Sanpete County and execute search warrants.”

A search of court records shows Hendrickson has not been charged with any crimes.

Hendrickson is the second Gunnison Valley police chief in four years to leave the job.

According to records from Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training, in 2020, then-Gunnison Valley Police Chief Brett McCall “self reported” that he drank alcohol while attending a firearms training at the state prison in Gunnison.

“McCall had a clear water bottle in the cargo area of his department … vehicle that contained approximately 4 ounces of vodka,” according to an investigative report. “McCall consumed the vodka.”

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McCall relinquished his peace officer certification. That ended any further investigation by Utah’s police regulators. He also retired from Gunnison Valley.

McCall declined further comment to FOX 13 News on Wednesday.

Between McCalls departure and Hendrickson’s hiring, former state Rep. Carl Wimmer, who had been a detective at Gunnison Valley, applied for the chief’s job. When he didn’t get it, he alleged discrimination.

The Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division later said Gunnison Valley discriminated against Wimmer’s religion and age. The police force paid Wimmer $80,000 in a settlement.

Thursday, Daniels said Gunnison Valley’s board has had turnover since Hendrickson was hired. It plans on ensuring the force operates better and is more transparent, and it will conduct a broad search for a new chief.

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“I do know this current board is committed to holding chiefs to a higher standard,” Daniels said.





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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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