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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of assaulting two Salt Lake City police officers, putting one in a chokehold, has been formally charged.
Luke Dennis Menders, 36, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with two counts of assault on a police officer, a second-degree felony and a class A misdemeanor; disarming a police officer, a third-degree felony; failing to stop at the command of police, a class A misdemeanor; interfering with an arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to disclose his identity, class B misdemeanors; and an infraction for illegally walking in the road.
On May 31, police were called to the area of 365 S. 500 West, where Menders was climbing a street pole after being kicked out of a building for trespassing, according to charging documents
An officer told Menders to sit on the street curb until his identity could be confirmed, but Menders refused and ran off, the charges state.
"Menders ran across northbound traffic on 500 West, ran on the median, then ran across southbound traffic before entering a business at 230 S. 500 West," according to the charges.
When Menders exited the business through another door, an officer was waiting. As two officers attempted to take Menders into custody, he punched one officer in the head, and then attempted to grab the gun of another officer who was then placed in a chokehold by Menders while trying to prevent his gun from being taken out of his holster, according to the charges. That officer was able to grab his Taser and deploy it on Menders' back.
As officers attempted to then place Menders in handcuffs, he tried to bite an officer and take his Taser, the charges state.
Prosecutors note that "officers had enormous difficulty" placing Menders under arrest and that "the escalation from being asked for his name to strangling an officer demonstrates that he is a danger to the community" and that he should be held in jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
