Mountain View, MO. – A man was recently arrested following a situation on the Mountain View High School football field where he allegedly took five kids hostage and threatened to shoot them. 38-year-old Utah Conner was charged with one count of 2nd-degree kidnapping, one count of armed criminal action, one count of 3rd-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, false impersonation of a police officer, unlawful use of a loaded weapon on school bus, premises, or functions, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon while intoxicated.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the Mountain View Police Department was dispatched to the football field in Mountain View after receiving a disturbance call due to excessive yelling. Officers arrived at the football field and saw a man, identified as Utah Conner, standing over 5 children who were lying on their stomachs on the ground. Conner had a firearm in his back pocket which an officer removed from him. During an on-scene interview with Conner, he stated that he had heard yelling and saw 5 kids on school grounds when they were not supposed to be. He then entered the ground and told the kids to get on the ground because he did not know if the children had firearms in their backpacks. Conner also stated that he was a neighborhood watch. Police noted that Conner smelled of alcohol and he did admit to having a few shots before the incident. They also noted that Conner acted confused and stumbled multiple times on his words.
After getting permission from the children’s parents, police conducted an interview. All statements from the children were the same story with no variations. They stated that they were playing on the football field when Conner came through the gate, announced that he was a police officer, pointed a firearm at them, forced them to lie down on the ground, and then threatened to kill them if they moved. The children noted that they were scared for their lives. At the police department, Conner refused to cooperate with any interviews.
Utah Conner is being held on a bond set at $50,000.
