Man allegedly sent 1,500 threatening messages to Utah DCFS, fought officers during arrest

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) — A man has been arrested after allegedly sending more than a thousand threatening messages to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) and threatening to kill law enforcement.

Sam Hale Merritt, 42, has been arrested and is facing charges of electronic communication harassment, interfering with a peace officer, three counts of assault by prisoner, and two counts of propelling a bodily substance. He has not been formally charged yet.

According to the arrest statement, the Logan Police Department was contacted by DCFS regarding a threat made toward them. A police detective responded and met with a case worker from DCFS, who reported that Merrit had allegedly sent around 1,500 “threatening messages” to them.

The detective reviewed the messages on the case worker’s phone and allegedly found that some of the messages included threats toward law enforcement. The threats stated that if officers “touched him or handcuffed him, he would kill” them. Documents say Merrit also made threats toward his probation officer.

After contacting the probation officer regarding the messages, Logan police responded alongside the probation officer to issue a citation and place Merrit on a 72-hour hold for the offense. When they met with Merrit, he allegedly stated that he “would not go back to jail because law enforcement harasses him.”

The probation officer told Merrit that he was under arrest for violating his probation. Documents say Merrit did not comply with the arrest, and officers had to use “a reasonable amount of force.” He allegedly spat into two officers’ faces and kicked two other officers while they tried to put a spit hood over his head.

According to the arrest statement, Merrit reportedly made threats to law enforcement that he was “going to kill” them and “bash [their] teeth out.” He has previously been convicted of assaulting a peace officer and is currently facing a felony child abuse case.

Merrit was booked into the Cache County Jail, where he allegedly kicked a Cache County deputy in the leg while being escorted inside. He is currently being held without bail.