West Valley City man points a gun at a DNR Officer during traffic stop in Duchesne
- Travis Uresk
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 26
By Travis Uresk
4-25-25
| Duchesne, Ut. | April 15th, 2025 |
On April 15th, 2025, at around 9:00 PM, the West Valley City Police Department received a call for service regarding 42-year-old Joshua David Boggess.
Joshua's family told police that he had been acting unusual earlier in the day and reported that he had consumed alcohol while saying goodbye to his family by phone. Officers were informed that a child saw Joshua take a firearm and leave the residence.
Joshua told his spouse not to send anyone after him and that he had a gun and all his ammunition. A witness stated Joshua showed himself with the gun in a video chat.
Officers were informed that Joshua had a previous suicide attempt and is on prescription medication for back pain.
An "Attempt To Locate" was broadcast to the surrounding areas that Joshua was driving a black Ford F250, armed with a pistol, that he was suicidal, and was likely using alcohol.
A second "Attempt To Locate" was broadcast in the Uintah Basin after a friend of the family called Uintah Basin Dispatch.
The ATL indicated that Joshua was driving the black Ford but mentioned that he may be driving to the Bandana Ranch area in Duchesne County.
A third ATL was dispatched from a witness stating that a black truck was driving recklessly on US-40 toward Duchesne. According to the witness statement from a Division of Natural Resources Officer, he had located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop after seeing the truck swerving across the road.
The DNR officer made contact with the driver, who appeared to be under the influence, and the officer noticed an open container of alcohol in the center console. The officer stated that Joshua informed him that he was armed and indicated he would kill himself or the officer would have "to do for him."
Shortly afterward, Joshua produced a handgun from the front passenger side of the vehicle and pointed it toward the officer.
A use-of-force incident by the officer then took place and is currently being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Joshua was taken into custody and was provided immediate medical attention. During the preliminary investigation and the service of warrant on Joshua’s Ford truck, police found several empty Bud Light cans. A handgun was also located on the passenger side of the truck.
Joshua is an alcohol-restricted driver with a previous DUI conviction. His blood was drawn by hospital staff at the Uintah Basin Medical Center in Roosevelt, Utah.
Based on the evidence thus far, there is probable cause that Joshua was driving a vehicle while impaired, had open containers in the vehicle, possessed a deadly weapon while under the influence, was an alcohol-restricted driver, and pointed a deadly weapon at a law enforcement officer.
All the articles from 1nationjustice.com are from the affidavits of probable cause reports that the officers write. If you would like, you can get a copy of the report from the website below. It does cost money to get on the site and to open every document you want to read.
