This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Dell Buck Schanze - owner of the Totally Awesome group of computer stores, a flying sports outfitter and a shooting range - has a history of speeding, reckless driving and weapons citations.
The list of charges, which includes at least one felony, 24 misdemeanors and five infractions, shows a pattern of behavior similar to an incident last month in Draper in which Schanze allegedly brandished a handgun after residents confronted him for allegedly speeding through their neighborhood.
The 30 charges on Schanze's rap sheet occurred in Utah between 1991 and 2000. Most were dismissed or reduced to lesser counts after Schanze pleaded guilty or paid a fine, according to court records.
But now, after more than five years of staying out of trouble with the law, Schanze faces one class A misdemeanor count of threatening with or using a dangerous weapon in a fight, and a class B misdemeanor of reckless driving for the May 21 Draper incident.
Residents along that city's Steep Mountain Drive told police they saw Schanze driving at an excessive rate of speed - some guessed as fast as 80 mph - on that Saturday afternoon.
Concerned for their safety and the safety of their children, three men got in their cars and followed Schanze to the end of the lane, which leads to the Point of the Mountain Paragliding Park.
Schanze was on his way to a competition at the park, his 8-year-old daughter by his side, he said.
When the men confronted Schanze about his driving, the spiky-haired computer store pitch man replied: "You drive what's safe for you. I'll drive what's safe for me. If you want driving lessons, I'll be glad to help," according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court.
One of the men picked up a rock and threatened to smash the taillights of Schanze's Jaguar, said Draper police. Schanze, a concealed weapons permit holder, produced a gun. The man with the rock called 911.
Witness statements to police and Schanze's history led to the charges being filed.
"There's a good pattern there of this guy driving like a bat out of hell," said Draper police Sgt. Gerry Allred.
Police do not condone the vigilante actions of the residents, but say Schanze was overly aggressive by producing a gun.
"If you threaten with a weapon during a fight or a quarrel, it will become a serious charge," said Allred.
Schanze is not talking about the events that led up to the confrontation, nor will he get specific about the manner in which the gun was used. He simply maintains his innocence and defends his right to to be armed.
"If you threaten me, I'm going to defend myself and that's that," Schanze said. He has used a gun several times in self-defense scenarios, many of which were necessitated by his high-profile status, he said.
"I'm not one that stands on the sidelines and lets bad things happen. If there's a fight that's unjust, I'm going to be on the good guy's side," Schanze said.
The past weapons charges, including a felony incendiary device charge, were blown out of proportion, he said. The bomb was a model rocket that blew up in his front yard, he claimed, and the weapons charges were other incidents where he used a gun in self-defense. Unable to afford a lawyer at the time, he said it was easier to accept a guilty plea with a lesser charge than to go to court.
"Was I guilty? Not even close," he said. "But hey, you offer me a plea in abeyance and [that's] fine."
Allred said residents along Steep Mountain Road were already sensitive to motorists speeding in their neighborhood before Schanze allegedly zoomed through. Residents should have gotten a license plate number, registered their complaint with police and let officers handle the situation, he said.
Meanwhile, Allred says, Schanze is changing his tune.
Schanze initially told police he never showed a gun to the residents.
"His statement to the officers at the scene is nowhere near what he's telling the media now," Allred said.
When asked about the consistency of his statements, Schanze said: "The story hasn't changed at all."