Slaying elicits scrutiny

In the aftermath of an officer's slaying and a bold escape attempt by a prison inmate, state lawmakers have questions for the already beleaguered Utah Department of Corrections.

"What kind of overall policies do you have with transportation? How do you define who a high-risk individual is?" Sen. Jon Greiner, R-Ogden, said as a sampling of what the Legislature's Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee wants answers to when it meets Wednesday.

"I don't know that Corrections owes us an explanation," Greiner said. "Corrections should be given some concerns by each of the legislators."

Newly appointed Corrections chief Tom Patterson said he may not be able to provide any answers right away.

"We don't want to compromise the criminal investigation and the prosecution," Patterson told the Deseret Morning News.

Curtis Allgier was undergoing an MRI at the University of Utah Orthopaedic Clinic on June 25 when, prosecutors say, he overpowered corrections officer Stephen Anderson, shooting him in the chest and head. Allgier then carjacked an SUV and led police on a chase across the Salt Lake Valley, ending at an Arby's restaurant on Redwood Road, prosecutors say.

According to charges filed in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court, Allgier then ran inside the store and put a gun to the head of an employee. He pulled the trigger, prosecutors said, but the gun didn't fire. Allgier was finally stopped when a customer fought and disarmed him.

The tattooed, white supremacist inmate is facing aggravated murder, attempted murder and theft charges in connection with the brazen escape attempt. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty against Allgier, 27.

Questions have been raised about why Allgier, who was once listed by local police as a "Public Enemy No. 1," was being transported by only Anderson. The Utah Department of Corrections has said it was standard policy.

For Greiner, who is also Ogden police chief, Allgier is a big security threat.

"He threatened to kill one of my policemen," he said.

Greiner said Allgier had vowed to kill a cop to avenge the death of a fellow white supremacist who was shot and killed by Ogden police officers during a traffic stop last year.

"I don't understand their (the Department of Corrections) operation well enough to be a critic, but I do know this particular individual was a big concern to this police chief," Greiner said. "At some point, when all the things are done, I might ask some very pointed questions."

Patterson said an internal review is already under way, but some policy changes have already been implemented when it comes to transporting inmates anywhere.