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Resident tells Cedar City Council an explosive device was thrown at his car; police say charges declined for driver
Summary
At the Sept. 24 meeting Eric Bergson described being targeted by an improvised explosive device thrown from a pickup truck; Police investigator Jimmy Roden said one person was convicted and that the county attorney declined charges against the other individual for lack of evidence. The council took no formal action.
Eric Bergson told the Cedar City Council on Sept. 24 that an improvised explosive device was thrown from a pickup truck at him on July 5, narrowly missing his vehicle and later causing fence and neighboring property damage.
"An explosive device was thrown out of a pickup truck that I was immediately following," Bergson said, describing a pursuit he said reached speeds in excess of 60 mph and ended when the suspects went onto a dead-end street.
Bergson said a 14-year-old juvenile who threw the device was detained and later detained, while the adult driver who he said facilitated the activity was not charged. "I would want the driver to be arrested on this particular charge," Bergson told the council, and he urged investigators to find who was making and selling the devices.
Jimmy Roden, the police investigator who handled the case, told the council the department interviewed multiple witnesses, charged the individual who threw the device, and presented information on the second party to the county attorney. "The evidence was presented, charges were declined, and that's where the case stands today," Roden said, explaining that the county attorney determined the burden of proof for criminal charges was not met.
Council members expressed sympathy for Bergson and noted the limits of the city's authority once a case is in the court system; one councilor suggested civil remedies are available that use a lower burden of proof. Bergson described property damage and concerns about continued occurrences in residential areas; Roden confirmed the investigation resulted in a conviction for the person who deposited the device and that the other person was not charged.
No formal action or direction to staff was recorded in response to Bergson's public comment; council members thanked him for bringing the matter to the council's attention, saying the public comment had raised community awareness.
