Police: Man Robbed, Threatened With Stun Gun At South Salt Lake Hotel
Aug 2, 2018, 5:05 PM | Updated: Aug 3, 2018, 2:17 am
SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah man is facing felony aggravated robbery charges after police said he robbed a man at a South Salt Lake hotel and threatened him with a stun gun.
A man went to the Ramada Inn at 2455 S. State Street, where he expected to pay someone for sex, according to the probable cause statement. When he arrived at a room at the hotel, he decided he no longer wanted to have sex because he encountered a man but expected a woman, the report states.
When the victim tried to leave the room, the suspect used a stun gun and threatened the victim that he needed to give him his phone and money. The victim gave the suspect his phone and told him he did not have any money, according to the report.
The victim called the police, who spent three hours trying to talk the man out before he surrendered.
Police recovered a stun gun from inside the room.
Nobody was hurt in the incident.
The suspect, Thomas Patrick Cooper, 27, of Salt Lake City, now faces charges of felony aggravated robbery, offer/agree to commit sexual act for fee, and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon. He has been booked into jail.
Police initially said the man who drove to the Ramada Inn worked for Uber and was going to the hotel to help a customer. The man also told KSL TV earlier Thursday that he was an Uber driver and was helping the customer get luggage out of the hotel room. He said he knew he should not have gone into the room, but was eager to earn an extra tip.
Police later said the police investigation revealed more information and a different story about what happened.
Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling told KSL TV, “I can confirm this person is not an Uber driver-partner and has no affiliation with the app.”
