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Police: Inmate released from Utah jail steals deputy’s uniform, drives home in stolen car

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Police: Inmate released from Utah jail steals deputy’s uniform, drives home in stolen car


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HURRICANE, Washington County — Police arrested a St. George man who they say walked into a secure area used by officers near the Purgatory Correctional Facility, took a Washington County sheriff’s deputy uniform and then drove off in an unlocked pickup truck from the jail parking lot.

Ryan Bradley Thompson, 36, was charged Tuesday in 5th District Court with theft, a second-degree felony; burglary, a third-degree felony; providing false information to police, a class A misdemeanor; plus impersonating an officer and theft, class B misdemeanors.

Thompson was released Monday from the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane where he had been booked and charged with intoxication and littering, according to court documents.

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But once released, he told police he “was hearing a voice on a radio telling him he needed to get out of there before he got locked back up. Ryan went further to explain that this same voice told him he needed to go inside and ‘pretend to be a cop,’ or ‘they were going to lock him back up and not let him talk to his family,’” a police booking affidavit states.

Investigators — who later went back and reviewed surveillance video — observed Thompson walk into a patrol building “through an open door leading into the secure portion of the building. This door was propped open at this time as there were a large amount of people coming and going for an active training. This door is typically secured and only accessible with an ID badge,” the affidavit states.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday said Thompson walked into an office area which is restricted, but is separate from the actual jai and houses several different law enforcement agency offices.

Once in the secure area, Thompson went into a gym locker room and is later allegedly seen on video walking out while holding a Washington County sheriff’s deputy uniform shirt.

“Ryan can then be seen coming in and out of the building, then eventually putting the uniform shirt on and tucking it partially into his jeans. At one point Ryan took off his pants and was walking around in the uniform shirt and what appeared to be dark colored boxer shorts,” according to the affidavit.

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Police say Thompson then walked to the front of the building and talked to a civilian staff member.

“This staff member relayed later in an interview with me that Ryan tried to make small talk and when asked who he was, he stated he was ‘the boss’ and ‘I work here,’” the affidavit states.

Thompson then checked the door handles of several vehicles in the parking lot, and eventually got into a pickup truck and drove home, according to police. When a sheriff’s deputy arrived at his house, Thompson at first allegedly claimed he was somebody else.

“Ryan stated that most of his actions were not too clear to him due to drugs and mental illness. Based on my interactions with Ryan and his own statements, it is clear Ryan is not in his correct state of mind and, in his own words, this is leading to him committing these crimes,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit.

Although Thompson only got into an office area and the gym, the sheriff’s office said it is “concerning,” and the department is “absolutely looking” into how he was able to get into a restricted area and how they can prevent that from happening again.

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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Utah

Utah is now completely out of drought status

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Utah is now completely out of drought status


SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time in five years, the entire state of Utah is out of a drought status.

The latest map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows no part of the state being in drought status, though about 25% is still considered abnormally dry.

“Portions of the state, mainly along that eastern and southern border, are abnormally dry,” KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson said. “But basically, we are completely out of a drought.”

Johnson says this is because Utah’s most recent wet winters have been crucial in restoring the state’s water supply.

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“We’ve had two really good winters, one of them record-setting, as far as snow-water equivalent. So this has been huge for getting us on the right path.”

However, Johnson said whether we stay out of drought conditions will be contingent on how hot it gets this summer, and how much rain Utah gets when monsoon season hits. 

“If we’re not in a drought, now we are planning for the next,” Johnson said, quoting a saying from The Utah Department of Natural Resources. “That just kind of comes with the territory…we are one of the top three driest on average so it’s not foreign territory for us to have dry weather.”

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“Planting parties” at Utah Lake working to rid the lake of invasive phragmites

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“Planting parties” at Utah Lake working to rid the lake of invasive phragmites


UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Lake Authority is hosting “planting parties” to put native vegetation in places where invasive plant species had previously been spreading.

Phragmites are a type of reed that have been taking over at Utah Lake and places across the country. Utah Lake Authority’s Deputy Director Sam Braegger said they have been partnering with other agencies to keep the phragmites at bay.

Now Braegger said they’re working toward revegetation with lots of groups who want to help them plant more native species.

“It’s been great to have groups come and help in that way, and I think they find it very fulfilling to spend an hour or two on the shoreline,” he said. “Our staff are all out there with them. They get to learn and ask questions about the lake. And then, help give back in putting plants into the ground.”

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Utah Lake Authority has spent more than 15 years dealing with phragmites, according to Braegger.

“Beating back the phragmites has been necessary for some time because phragmites is very aggressive,” he said. “It grows in very thickly, so it’s terrible habitat. There’s not very much of wildlife, birds and fish, that can get in there.”

This is the Utah Lake Authority’s first time doing a “concentrated revegetation” effort.

“We’ve put out some seed before, in recent years, but just seed is all we’ve done,” Braegger said. “This year, for the first time, we’re going out and actually planting 10,00 plugs.”

Braegger said the goal is to plant over 40,000 seed plugs next year.

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Heather Peterson is a reporter and producer for KSL NewsRadio. She also produces Utah’s Noon News.

Potentially toxic algal bloom detected at Utah Lake

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Videos show fireworks veer into crowd at Stadium of Fire concert in Utah, injuries reported

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Videos show fireworks veer into crowd at Stadium of Fire concert in Utah, injuries reported


Multiple videos have surfaced Thursday evening showing a fireworks display at the Stadium of Fire concert in Provo, Utah, with rogue shots straying into the audience. Early reports state that one person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries while others were reportedly injured.

Several firefighters immediately responded to reports of injuries in the crowd, according to Fox 13 in Salt Lake City.

Fireworks at large gatherings in Utah are nothing new, like the ones that lit up the sky above the stadium for the grand finale of the Opening Ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium. (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

The incident happened at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the football facility for Brigham Young University. Just as the national anthem is heard ending, and as four fighter jets fly over the stadium, a fireworks display begins behind the stage.

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Fireworks shot into the sunlit sky vertically, but stray sparks are seen firing horizontally into the crowd near the stage. Crowdgoers were reportedly seen waving their hands in the air for officials to render help.

Freedom Festival, which facilitates Stadium of Fire and other yearly events across the country, tweeted that all fireworks were “thoroughly checked” before Thursday’s show and then checked again after the incident.

“Safety is of the utmost importance to us. All pyrotechnics at Stadium of Fire are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after tonight’s incident. Our thoughts are with those who were impacted, and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay.”

UTAH FIRE CAPTAIN DIES IN COLORADO RAFTING ACCIDENT AT DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT

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After a pause in activities, the concert resumed with Jonas Brothers taking the stage around 9 p.m. and closing out the show with no other reported mishaps.

Provo Police Department spokesperson Janna-Lee Holland told KUTV the incident happened just after the flyover.

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The number of injuries and each of their severities is unknown at the time.

Videos like the one seen in this tweet show pyrotechnics not only firing into the stands, but also onto the field where people were either standing or in a seated area.

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