Snowboarder confronted by property owner with gun near Brighton Ski Resort

SALT LAKE CITY — A weekend of backcountry snowboarding took a scary turn for Loren Richardson near Brighton Ski Resort.

Richardson and his friends are in Utah for the powder. They love the backcountry, despite the risks, and they were prepared.

“It’s good to have your beacon, your shovel, your probe, your radio,” Richardson told KSL TV.

Yet, despite meticulous preparation, what unfolded caught him off guard.

As Richardson was making his final run of the day, an abrupt shift from the exhilarating rush of carving through fresh powder to a chilling confrontation on private property.

“As I dropped into that driveway, I thought it was more of a road,” Richardson said.

A homeowner, armed and agitated, confronted Richardson with a gun.

“I’m like, I’m gonna get shot,” Richardson said.

 

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The encounter, captured on camera, captured the attention of Brighton Mayor Dan Knoop, who was concerned, to say the least.

“They shouldn’t be going there, but they do,” Knoop said, alluding to the persistent challenge of trespassing in the area.

However, he emphasized that resorting to intimidation and brandishing firearms is unjustifiable.

“It’s never acceptable to be brandishing a gun, to be pushing people, swearing, yelling at people,” Knoop said.

While police have been in contact with the homeowner, concerns linger about the potential for further escalation.

“My biggest concern, I don’t want him to get injured, I don’t want him to injure anybody else,” Knoop said.

“He’s standing there like out of a scary movie with his gun in hand, looking straight at us with a chair behind him,” Richardson said. “It was terrifying.”