From Deseret News archives:

Witnesses say fracas first seemed to be a joke

'Citizen's arrest' tiff in October targeted Herbert

Published: Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 9:25 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
OREM — Witnesses initially thought a man was joking before he allegedly struck an aide for Lt. Gov-elect Gary Herbert during an October campaign stop, according to police records obtained by the Deseret Morning News.

Robert F. Bennion, 63, blocked Herbert's path after a speech at the Tooele Rotary Club on Oct. 18 and attempted to make a citizen's arrest of Herbert, 57, currently nearing the end of his tenure as a Utah County commissioner, whom Bennion blames for a water dispute at Bennion's Sundance property.

Herbert had just finished speaking at the Best Western Inn and was due in Salt Lake City when Bennion demanded Herbert accompany him to the police station.

"It's kind of scary that he tracked me down," Herbert said.

Herbert's aide, Robert W. Higgins, 42, intervened to allow Herbert to leave the motel. Bennion allegedly shouted that he would kill Higgins and eyewitnesses said Bennion then attacked Higgins.

A statement from Higgins is included in the documents obtained by the paper through the Government Records Access Management Act.

Story continues below
"He hunched over, like a linebacker, and attempted to ram me," Higgins said, according to the police records. "Not wanting to give him any physical harm, or myself, I only partially blocked him, hoping that would dissuade him. In spite of the altercation, he continued running towards Gary. Gary barely had enough time to get into his car. He was very threatening."

Tooele City Councilwoman Colleen Johnson and Tooele community relations director Joyce R. Hogan thought Bennion was joking when they first noticed the disturbance, according to the documents.

"Gary repeatedly said that he wouldn't talk to him, but the man persisted," Johnson told police, according to the records. "Several times Gary said to the man, 'Don't touch me.' "

Bennion allegedly grabbed hold of Herbert's car door and tried to shove papers through the window.

After Higgins pulled Bennion away from the door and then moved Bennion from where he stood behind Herbert's vehicle, Bennion swung at Higgins, hitting him twice in the face and once in the ribs, the witnesses said. Higgins' glasses broke in the altercation. He also suffered minor injuries to his face and mouth. Herbert drove away with Bennion screaming obscenities after him.

Hogan said that when Herbert tried to drive away, Bennion ran in front of the car.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert will become Utah lieutenant governor in January.

previousnext

Latest comments

Beck, Hannity, and Limbaugh get the audience they deserve and vice versa. ...

I find the rule,very discriminitory. I am not gay, I don't understand what...

Celtics crush Jazz

I understand we were outmanned last night. However, this effort was awful....

Tavernari has matured

My advice to Jonathan is shoot it when they pass it to you as soon as you...

Maybe they should try drafting a shooting guard who can shoot from outside ....

The sad thing about it is that there are actually people out there that are...

12 Utes return to Texas

Thank you TCU and BYU. Your wanting to beat Utah so bad has to drive you...

Celtics crush Jazz

Play fes and koufos. Look to the future. It looks like we will have two...

Letters: Obama 'too busy'

Oh come on. Obama's a horrible president, but I couldn't care less which...

"We had the best soccer of any place in the state. There's no disputing...

Advertisements
Advertisement