Authorities announced Saturday they had arrested a man who they said threatened to assassinate Utah Gov. Gary Herbert last week.
The threat prompted the governor to be placed on lockdown and moved by his security detail, according to a probable cause statement released by the Salt Lake County Jail Saturday night.
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Department of Public Safety spokesman Dwayne Baird said officers working an undercover sting arrested Brian Biff Baker, 52, whose city of residence wasn’t known, in the area of 900 East and South Temple just before 10 p.m. Thursday after someone called West Valley police earlier in the day to report he had sent them text messages threatening the governor’s life.
Baird said he couldn’t go into a lot of detail about the alleged plot, but said authorities believe he posed a legitimate threat to Herbert’s life.
"He was going to wait for the governor and kill him," he said.
Investigators said Baker threatened to use explosives to blow up the governor’s mansion and told his acquaintance he had been hiding in the bushes waiting to get the governor, according to the probable cause statement. He also allegedly threatened to shoot a police officer he saw drive by, the statement says.
Baird said Baker was arrested after he unknowingly met with undercover investigators on an unrelated matter.
After arresting Baker on suspicion of the second-degree felony making terroristic threats to a governmental unit, Baird said officers executed a search warrant on his car. The PC statement says Baker told investigators he had M-80s, other fireworks and ammunition, inside his vehicle.
Baird said investigators found ammunition and fireworks in the car, but no guns.
"I don’t know what his explanation was [for having those items]," Baird said.
He said he didn’t know why Baker would want to kill Herbert, but he said authorities take any threats against public officials very seriously.
Saturday evening, Baker remained in custody at the Salt Lake County Jail.
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