LOGAN — A 42-year-old Logan man has been arrested for allegedly sending more than 1,000 threatening messages to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and threatening to kill law enforcement officers. Sam Hale Merritt was booked Tuesday into the Cache County Jail.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, the Logan Police Department was contacted by the Utah Division of Child and Family Services about a threat. A caseworker told a police detective that Merritt had allegedly sent about 1,500 threatening messages.
The detective reviewed the messages and found some included threats toward law enforcement and Merritt’s probation officer. The threats stated that if officers “touched him or handcuffed him, he would kill” them, the arrest affidavit detailed.
Police and a probation officer went to issue a citation and place Merritt on a 72-hour hold. When they met with him, Merritt allegedly said he “would not go back to jail because law enforcement harasses him.” The probation officer told Merritt he was under arrest for a probation violation.
According to the PC statement, Merritt did not comply with the arrest, and officers used “a reasonable amount of force” to take him into custody. He’s accused of spitting in the faces of two officers and kicking two others who were trying to place a spit hood on him. Merritt also allegedly threatened to “kill” and “bash [their] teeth out.”
Merritt was booked into jail on suspicion of electronic communication harassment, interfering with a peace officer and assault, among other offences. He also allegedly kicked a deputy and is currently being held without bail.
According to court records Merritt has a previous conviction for assaulting a peace officer and is currently facing a felony child abuse case.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.