A Uintah County Judge calls police after seeing a video on social media of a man threatening him with a gun

| by Travis Uresk | March 2^nd, 2026 |

On February 27^th, 2026, Vernal City Police received information about a threatening detail. The Victim, a sitting judge, stated he became concerned for his safety after viewing a social media post from 18-year-old Nicholas Samuel Smith.

The post read that the next time Nicholas saw the judge, he would "show him something cool." Attached to the post was a video of Nicholas pulling a pistol from the front of his person and firing it.

The officer conducted a local check and found that the social media profile contained photographs matching the driver's license photo for Nicholas Samuel Smith. He later contacted Nicholas by phone, and he agreed to meet the officer. Nicholas was transported to the Vernal Police Department for an interview.

Nicholas stated that the profile on Facebook was his and that he was the individual who posted the content. He also told the officer that he knew the Victim and that the Victim was a Judge in his official capacity. Nicholas said he was annoyed by the initial post he commented on, as he was aware of the circumstances of another case that had been prosecuted.

Nicholas told the officer during the interview that the post was him "shit-talking," and that because he used an emoji, it was meant only as "shit-talking," because that is what he likes to do. Nicholas also stated, "or in that instance I could also be like trying to show him (the Victim) something cool". Nicholas stated that the "wordage" could have been adapted to avoid upsetting someone.

Cpl. Ross stated Nicholas's statements and the post's content; it did not appear that the video was intended to be viewed by the Victim as lighthearted or casual firearm-related content. Nicholas's post was not directed at the Victim's Facebook profile but instead was in response to a news article about a case whose sentencing had concluded, and the audience was upset about the outcome. Nicholas stated he did not know the Victim in a manner that would be deemed a friendship, as he believed the Victim was a Judge in a prior incident he was involved in.

Nicholas Smith was arrested and booked into the Uintah County Jail for the threat with intent to intimidate.