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- David Earl Holden was arrested Thursday and charged Monday with trying to run over two groups of children at a park in Price.
- Holden was charged with three counts of attempted murder, plus other charges.
- Police say the man threatened more violence if he is released from jail.
PRICE — Criminal charges were filed Monday against a Utah man accused of trying to run over children at a park.
David Earl Holden, 57, who police say is homeless, is charged in 7th District Court with three counts of attempted murder, a first-degree felony; using a weapon in a fight, a class A misdemeanor; plus reckless driving and making a threat of violence, class B misdemeanors.
On Thursday, Holden was at Dino Mine Park in Price when witnesses say he spit on the window of a car without provocation, according to a police booking affidavit. The driver got out and asked Holden why he did that.
Holden then got into his own vehicle and began to "drive erratically, chasing children through the park," the affidavit alleges. "David drove over curbs and onto the grass in his attempts to run children over. (A witness) explained that the children had to flee and jump out of the way of David's truck so they would not be run over."
Holden eventually stopped his truck, got out, and "proceeded to throw rocks at several children," according to the affidavit. A child threw a rock back at Holden, hitting him in the face.
Surveillance video later obtained by officers "confirmed there was a vehicle that had driven erratically at the Dino Mine Park and that it appeared to be attempting to run children over," according to the arrest report.
A second witness told police that before Holden tried to run people over, he had "grabbed a knife from his vehicle, and while holding it at his side, he began walking toward the group of children," the affidavit says. That witness said Holden tried to run over two groups of children and "explained one child in particular was very nearly run over and would have been had he not jumped out of the way of David's vehicle."
Holden followed one teenage boy to the parking lot of a McDonald's where police responded and found Holden who was bleeding from his face from being hit by the rock. As he was taken into custody, Holden "stated if he was released, he would attempt to find a firearm and would become the next mass shooter," the affidavit states.
