Man arraigned for charges stemming from standoff

Posted 2/28/19

Burkett pleads not guilty in Third District Court

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Man arraigned for charges stemming from standoff

Posted

EVANSTON — Lyman man Jonathon P. Burkett, 29, was arraigned in Third District Court on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 26, when he entered not guilty pleas to five counts stemming from an armed standoff with law enforcement in Lyman on Jan. 21. 

Burkett has been charged with aggravated burglary, wrongful taking or disposing of property, reckless endangering, interfering with a peace officer and use of methamphetamine following the incident in which he was allegedly witnessed going through the contents in the office of John’s Bar when the business was closed and later confronting and threatening officers who went looking for him at his parents’ home. 

Court documents filed in the case indicate the bar owner confronted him on that morning when he was found going through the bar office, armed with a handgun. When law enforcement officers subsequently located Burkett at his parents’ home, he allegedly had the gun in a makeshift holster and refused to disarm. Burkett allegedly told officers multiple times that he was a “faster draw” while reaching for, but ultimately not drawing, the weapon.

Burkett was finally disarmed by officers as he reached for the gun a final time, getting his hand on the grip before officers grabbed his hand and took him to the ground. Upon his evaluation at Evanston Regional Hospital following his arrest, urinalysis came back positive for the presence of methamphetamine and Burkett allegedly admitted to smoking meth earlier that morning. The handgun was later found to have been stolen. 

Burkett is still incarcerated at the Uinta County Jail with a bond of $30,000 cash or surety. District Court Judge Joseph Bluemel ordered a pre-sentence investigation and substance abuse assessment and set a three-day trial for June 4. 

If found guilty, Burkett faces a sentence of 5-25 years for the felony aggravated burglary charge, as well as a maximum of one year each for the counts of interfering with a peace officer and reckless endangering and six months each for the charges of wrongful taking or disposing of property and methamphetamine use. He also faces a maximum of $53,250 in fines.