ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4 News) — A volatile situation triggering a SWAT response in St. George Tuesday has prompted local advocates to encourage victims or survivors of domestic violence to seek out mental health resources if needed.
Craig Alldredge, 46, of St. George, peacefully surrendered to law enforcement Tuesday afternoon after a nearly three-hour standoff that brought tactile units and crisis negotiation teams to a residence in the area of 3370 South near Little Valley Road.
According to police, the incident was set in motion the day before when officers responded to the residence on a report of a family fight. Alldredge was arrested Monday after he allegedly threatened to kill family members, neighbors who intervened, and officers involved, according to a probable cause statement.
He was released from jail several hours later with a no-contact order barring him from the residence, but police say he returned within hours Tuesday morning before evading the responding officer and eventually barricading himself in a large metal railway container on the property.
“Given the circumstances, we were able to get everyone out of the house, set up a perimeter, and then call in the SWAT teams and crisis negotiation teams to go through the process step-by-step,” Sgt. Tyrell Bangerter told ABC4 News.
Based on their knowledge of possible weapons involved, St. George SWAT instructed nearby residents to lock their doors and shelter-in-place, setting in motion a lock-out status at Little Valley Elementary and Sunrise Ridge Intermediate schools.
Alldredge eventually surrendered to police without incident. He is being held in jail without bail.
Officials at DOVE Center, the only victim services agency in Washington County available 24-hours a day to answer questions and concerns about domestic violence and rape, say the event is a reminder for all survivors to develop effective coping strategies to help them get through similar triggering events.
“But, not everyone has been through the healing process in order to have those coping strategies, so we encourage everyone to reach out for help and be connected to a mental health professional,” DOVE Center communications manager Markee Pickett tells ABC4 News.
Pickett says the window shortly after perpetrators are served a no-contact order can be an especially dangerous, even lethal, time, giving survivors the space needed to obtain a long-term protective order.
“Domestic violence is not about anger, but about the perpetrator seeking and maintaining power and control,” Pickett added. “Survivors deserve to be heard, supported, and receive any help they need.”
The DOVE Center is available 24/7 to offer safe shelter and provide advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 435-628-0458 or 911
