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Utah Prisoner Allegedly Kills Officer

By JENNIFER DOBNER,
AP
Posted: 2007-06-26 09:45:05
Filed Under: Crime News
SALT LAKE CITY (June 26) - Authorities said a prison inmate out for a medical appointment wrested a gun from a corrections officer and killed him, then led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen sport utility vehicle before his capture at a fast-food restaurant.

Inmate Curtis Allgier had been taken to the University of Utah for an appointment Monday when he stole a gun from a corrections officer and fatally shot him, officials said
Utah Dept. of Corrections / AP

Inmate Curtis Allgier had been taken to the University of Utah for an appointment Monday when he stole a gun from a corrections officer and fatally shot him, officials said.

Curtis Allgier , who wears a swastika and the words "skin head" on his heavily tattooed face, fired a shot in the Arby's restaurant that hit no one before a customer snatched the gun, Salt Lake City police Sgt. Rich Brede said.

"It sounds like he was heroic, even though he's being humble about it," he said of the 59-year-old customer.

Allgier , 27, was captured in an office and taken to jail to await charges.

Allgier got the gun from corrections officer Stephen Anderson while he was in an examination room at the University of Utah orthopedic center awaiting an MRI for back pain around 7:45 a.m. Monday, university Police Chief Scott Folsom said.

The procedure requires an officer to replace metal restraints with a plastic "flex cuff," said Tom Patterson, director of the Utah Department of Corrections.

"There was some sort of altercation. The inmate got hold of the weapon and shot the officer," Folsom said.

Anderson, 60, a 22-year-veteran, was shot in the head, authorities said.

"This is one of the risks in the job we perform for the community," Patterson said. "Unfortunately the risk sometimes is our very lives."

Allgier forced two people out of a Ford Explorer outside the medical center, Brede said; neither was hurt.

Officers chased the SUV at speeds up to 100 mph (160 kph). Two Salt Lake City squad cars crashed into each other while trying to cut off Allgier , Brede said, but there were no serious injuries.

Allgier 's friend, Trisha Tower, said he called her while on the run to say he had shot an officer and was sorry.

"I didn't even know how to deal with that," she said at her Salt Lake City home.

Police pursuing Allgier placed tire spikes on Interstate 215, but he still was able to drive several miles (kilometers) before bailing out in the Arby's drive-thru lane, police said.

Police arrived at the eatery just as Shirley Smiley, 57, was outside after breakfast with her husband and son. She said she heard a "popping noise" from inside, and police yelled "Get down!"

About six other customers and three employees were inside the restaurant, Smiley said. At least one person was "struck with some object" but was able to walk out, bloodied around the head, Brede said.

Police did not identify the customer who wrested the gun from Allgier , saying he did not want to be identified.

KUTV identified the customer as Eric Fullerton.

"Everybody's calling me a hero. I'm not a hero," Fullerton told the TV station. "I just did what I had to do."

Allgier had been at the Utah State Prison in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper on a parole violation. On June 14, he was sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm but had not been transferred yet to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The university serves as a regional medical center for Utah and has two hospitals and other facilities, including the orthopedic center. The corrections department routinely transports prisoners there for medical appointments.

It was not clear whether Allgier had a lawyer yet, and an attorney who represented him in a recent federal criminal case did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Associated Press writer Debbie Hummel contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-06-25 20:31:41
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157 comments

JJNAAUCOIN 10:56:25 AM Jul 19 2007

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Hmmm I think we can fit a few more tatoos in there. He has been making good of his prison time...

This is truely a disturbing story and he needs put down.

LaDianendel 08:18:54 AM Jul 06 2007

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What is up with this picture? A man, getting ready to retire, transports a moronic aryan brother, to get medical attention, and loses his life?

brbjdl2152 08:25:25 PM Jul 05 2007

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typical.animal.type!!..So.full.of.hate...Is.life.such.a.bad.place.if.it.turns.out.people.like.
this???.........I.can't.figure.what.sircumstance.added.up.to.create.such.a.anti.person??....It.is.a.sorry.statement.on.humanity....so.cold/so.very.cold.and.alone....such.
a.pity.all.the.way.round.....

neuticles 10:41:08 AM Jun 26 2007

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society created this monster and should accept responsibilty for it.

vonschwerdtner 10:28:33 AM Jun 26 2007

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1. One Correctional Officer with one inmate on a hospital detail? It should ALWAYS be two officers - but no, the people up top are too concerned budgeting for overtime. Regardless of charges, all inmates leaving any facility, whether it be for court, a funeral, or a med run SHOULD BE CONCIDERED DANGEROUS AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OFFICERS! A Maryland C. O. was killed last year under very similar circumstances - yeah, he was by himself. Corrections Administrators better get over their qualms about budget conciderations and be msstly concerned about staff safety.

2. A 60 year old man guarding a 29 year old? Where the hell does that kind of logic fit in? An almost senior citizen does not have the agility or the stamina to wrestle with a young man in his prime. Very few of us have the skill if Chuck Norris.

3. A supervisor(s) ought be canned for making the decision to send that man on that detail. I'm sure that he or she will be brought before somebody higher up to give a report. When as

dowatiwant 10:16:40 AM Jun 26 2007

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sick ******* monster, looking like an idiot with all that shit on his face, representing hate, what a ******* waste. burn in hell Allgier.

porschiafour 10:14:19 AM Jun 26 2007

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What is up with this picture? A man, getting ready to retire, transports a moronic aryan brother, to get medical attention, and loses his life? Puleazeeeeeeeee...

SMiller0224 10:10:57 AM Jun 26 2007

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i work in a hospital and when we have prisoners (even dying ones who cannot physically get out of bed), there are always two officers and the prisoner is still handcuffed to the bed...it is incredible that the prison system left one guard, 60, to attend to a 27 year old inmate, knowing the guard had to switch out the metal cuffs...the prison administrators need to be looked at harshly for this...kudos to the 59 y/o customer taking down this loser

dougcarol3210 10:09:49 AM Jun 26 2007

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Looks like we need more Electric Chairs.Not Prisons.

dougcarol3210 10:07:50 AM Jun 26 2007

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I don't believe in reforming Nazi's.This loser's full of hate.Take him out back and shot him.Post haste.

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