By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
On Monday, June 16, officers with the East Carbon Police Department received a call to Sunnyside Park, where reports indicated a potentially intoxicated man was present. After being placed into custody, the man allegedly escaped the police and stole a UTV before being captured.
William Webber, age 23, faces charges of property damage by trespasser, unauthorized possession, interfering with a police officer, and escape.
According to court documents, upon arrival at the park, officers found Webber, who they alleged was displaying signs of intoxication. Webber denied he had been drinking, but officers detected the odor of alcohol.
Upon being detained, Webber requested that officers retrieve a water bottle from a dirt road. Upon further inspection, the water bottle Webber was after contained vodka.
When informed he was being placed under arrest, Webber began to slam his head against the prisoner compartment of the police vehicle. According to court documents, the officers de-escalated the situation and told Webber to hug them. Webber remained noncompliant, refusing to be handcuffed and reenter the vehicle.
The officers reported to dispatch that they would need assistance with a combative suspect.
They also made a deal with Webber that he would not be handcuffed if he reentered the vehicle.
When officers began to drive away from the scene, Webber allegedly began his escape attempt, kicking and punching the partition cage inside the police vehicle in an effort to get out. He was able to eventually break through the back window of the vehicle and crawl out of custody.
According to the probable cause statement the deputy, “ got stopped in time for him to jump off and jump a fence into private property. I yelled at William to come back, but he just kept running.”
Webber allegedly then jumped from the vehicle and over a fence into private property, where he reportedly stole a UTV. Court documents state that after allegedly driving through a fence, he damaged the UTV. This joyride came to an end following a five-hour search when Carbon County deputies arrested him.
Webber has been booked into the Carbon County Jail.