CEDAR CITY — A Cedar City man was arrested and booked into jail last week after he allegedly fired a handgun into the air while waiting in line at a local drive-thru restaurant.
Charging documents allege that Douglas V. Labonte, 39, was in his vehicle at the Taco Bell drive-thru lane Thursday at around 9:30 p.m. when he pointed the weapon out the window and discharged at least one shot into the air.
Witnesses were able to give the vehicle’s description and license plate number to police officers, who then responded to the residence of the vehicle’s registered owner at a mobile home park on north Main Street. Upon their arrival at the residence, officers reported hearing a gunshot.
Officers had reportedly found Labonte sitting on the front porch with a .44 caliber revolver lying nearby, and police subsequently located a bullet hole at the bottom of the front door, with burn marks indicating the shot had been fired from close range.
No reason or explanation was given as to why the shots were fired at either location. Labonte was described by the arresting officer as being “uncooperative” throughout his entire encounter with the police.
“Douglas swayed and stumbled as he walked, slurred his words and smelled heavily of an alcoholic beverage,” the officer wrote. After obtaining a search warrant, police took a blood sample from Labonte in order to test for intoxication.
Additionally, police reportedly took two handguns into evidence: the .44 from the porch and another one from Labonte’s vehicle.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday, Labonte was booked into Iron County Jail, where he faces charges of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony; reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor; and failure to disclose identity and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence of alcohol, both class B misdemeanors.
Labonte made his initial court appearance Monday before 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell, who ordered that Labonte continue to be held without bail. His next scheduled court date is a roll call hearing on Oct. 4.
Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.