Challis resident Michael Bauchman was arrested and jailed Feb. 21 in Bonneville County after sheriff's deputies had to wrangle him from a tractor cab.
Bauchman, 39, was detained by deputies at a farm in the 7000 block of West Broadway after a 911 call came in at 5:15 p.m., Bonneville County Sheriff's Sgt. Bryan Lovell said. The caller told dispatchers that Bauchman was driving a tractor and tried to run the man over. The caller also reported that Bauchman had damaged other farm equipment and hay.
When deputies arrived at the farm, Bauchman was driving a large tractor and damaging property, Lovell said. According to Lovell, Bauchman ignored commands from officers to stop and deputies "deployed less lethal impact rounds into the cab of the tractor to incapacitate Bauchman enough to take him into custody." Lovell said Bauchman struggled with the deputies even after he was handcuffed.
The 5:15 p.m. call followed a 4 p.m. report to the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office from a home in the 2000 block of South 65th Street. The homeowner reported a man he didn't know was inside his house. Deputies determined it was Bauchman in the man's house. Bauchman left the house, slashed tires on the homeowner's car and drove away, Lovell said in a news release. Bauchman left a backpack that contained his ID card in the garage of that house.
After his arrest, Bauchman was taken to a hospital, where he was cleared for release, Lovell said. He was then jailed on suspicion of burglary and malicious injury to property.
Lovell said the farmer estimated damage to a John Deere tractor and other equipment at the farm exceeds $125,000.