TAYLORSVILLE, UT — Police in Taylorsville arrested a 42-year-old man early Monday after they say he fought with officers during a traffic stop, tried to take an officer’s gun and repeatedly attempted to run. Marco Dunigan was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of attempting to disarm a police officer, assault on an officer, failing to stop for police and giving false information to police.
A woman who was with him, 33-year-old Jaycie Nichole Reed, was also arrested and booked for investigation of obstruction of justice. Police say the encounter began near 4500 S. Redwood Road and escalated after officers learned Dunigan had an active Board of Pardons warrant.
Traffic stop near Redwood Road led officers to Dunigan
Taylorsville police pulled over the vehicle near 4500 S. Redwood Road early Monday. According to a booking affidavit, the driver cooperated with officers and was described as being on federal probation. Dunigan was in the front passenger seat when police made the stop.
Officers later identified him as someone wanted on an active third-degree felony Board of Pardons warrant. Before they confirmed his identity, police say he gave them a false name and birth date. That information slowed the encounter briefly while officers checked the details he had provided.
During that period, Dunigan moved from the front seat to the back seat of the car. Officers said that movement made them suspect he was preparing to run, which led them to order him out of the vehicle.
Police say Dunigan fought officers and reached for a gun
According to the affidavit, Dunigan did not comply when ordered out of the car. Instead, police say he tried to push past officers and take off on foot. One officer grabbed his wrist, and both men went to the ground, with Dunigan landing on top of the officer as a second officer joined the struggle.
The affidavit says the officers repeatedly told Dunigan to stop resisting, but he kept fighting. At one point, police say he hit an officer in the face, leaving a small cut on the officer’s upper lip. The arresting officer also wrote that Dunigan placed his left hand on the officer’s holstered gun during the confrontation.
Police say Dunigan later tried to grab one of the officers’ guns while still on the ground. The affidavit describes the situation as a high-level threat because of his continued aggression and the repeated attempts to break free.
Taser was used several times before Dunigan was handcuffed
Officers used a Taser on Dunigan multiple times during the fight, according to police. The first deployment did not appear to slow him down, and police say he got back up and again tried to run from the scene.
An officer grabbed his shirt to keep him from escaping and fired the Taser again, hitting him with five probes. Police say that second deployment was effective and helped bring the struggle under control. After what the affidavit called an extended physical fight, officers were able to place Dunigan in handcuffs and take him into custody.
He was then booked into jail for the alleged offenses tied to the arrest attempt and the struggle with police. The incident occurred during an early-morning stop, but police have not said anything about injuries beyond the officer’s minor cut.
Reed is accused of interfering as officers tried to secure Dunigan
Police say Jaycie Nichole Reed got out of the vehicle while officers were trying to arrest Dunigan and then interfered with their efforts. Officers wrote that they ordered her back into the car, but she refused and continued yelling at them.
According to the affidavit, Reed also moved closer to the struggle instead of backing away. Police say she approached directly next to the physical fight even after officers warned her that they could use a Taser if she did not stop. Backup officers later arrived and Reed was arrested.
She was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of obstruction of justice. Police did not say whether she knew Dunigan was wanted on the parole warrant before the stop, but she remained at the scene throughout the arrest.
What the bookings mean for the two people arrested
Dunigan’s booking includes allegations that he attempted to disarm a police officer, assaulted an officer, failed to stop for police and gave false information. The arrest also tied him to an active third-degree felony Board of Pardons warrant, which made the traffic stop especially significant for officers.
Reed’s arrest was for alleged obstruction of justice, a charge police say stemmed from her interference as officers were trying to control Dunigan. Both arrests were handled by Taylorsville police and ended with the two being booked into the county jail.
At this stage, the allegations come from the officers’ account in the booking affidavit. Court proceedings will determine how the case moves forward and whether the charges are filed in the form described by police.
