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Provo crossing guard fired after police say he committed a lewd act in front of children

A man was fired from his job as a Provo crossing guard on Monday, two days after police say he committed a lewd act in front of children and then doused their father with pepper spray.

Police arrested the man Saturday afternoon near 2250 W. 620 North. About two blocks from there, said Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon, the 26-year-old man made a gesture that imitated masturbation in the direction of 7- and 11-year-old children in their yard.

Cannon said the children’s father saw the gesture and ran after the suspect. During the chase, the suspect fired pepper spray at the father, Cannon said.

Provo police arrived and detained the suspect. The officers realized the he was a part-time police employee who worked as a crossing guard at Lakeview Elementary in Provo. Cannon said the case was referred to the sheriff’s office to avoid conflict of interest for Provo police.

The man was not working as a crossing guard at the time of the alleged encounter.

The suspect was in the Utah County jail on Monday in lieu of $5,000 bail. He is being held on suspicion of misdemeanor counts of lewdness in front of a child, failure to stop at the command of a police officer, assault and resisting arrest.

Cannon said the suspect was fired from his crossing guard job on Monday.