This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A man is in some serious trouble after officers say he stole a car in Salt Lake City and then apparently drove to a random Murray neighborhood and attacked people with his hatchet.
Murray police spokesman Kenny Bass said when the 27-year-old man arrived about 4 a.m. in the neighborhood near 6600 South 1200 East, he forced his way into a bedroom where he started hitting a man around the ankles with the hatchet.
After the two men wrestled, Bass said the hatchet-wielder tried to flee, only to encounter a male roommate. The hatchet man hit the roommate in the head with the hatchet and fled.
Both men escaped injury.
The hatchet-wielder then headed to a nearby home and used it to damage the door, then moved on to a third house where he pounded on the door, Bass said.
He then turned his attention to a fourth house and managed to get access to the backyard. He broke the windows of the garage and then climbed onto the roof and caused a brief standoff.
When police arrived, he threw the hatchet at them but missed, Bass said.
Bass said it's lucky that everybody escaped injury in the incident.
He said he doesn't know why the man chose that neighborhood; he doesn't live there.
He also said it appeared the man may have been under the influence of an illegal drug at the time.
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