SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY — Police say a woman in South Salt Lake defended her family with an American flag during an aggravated burglary.

According to South Salt Lake Police,  just before 9 a.m. on Monday an unknown male suspect entered the front gate of a home near the 900 block of 3300 South and began to assault the family that lived there.

Police said during the assault, “The female victim was able to grab her flag pole with the flag attached to defend herself and other family members. She struck the suspect multiple times trying to defend herself and broke the pole.” 

The family was able to get back inside their home. Police say the man then broke down the door and continued assaulting the family. Officers later arrived and arrested Justin Scott Smith, 42, on suspicion of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and two counts of assault.

 

The department says officers quickly took up a collection to replace the family’s broken flag pole and flag. It came after the woman expressed concern that the pole was broken and her flag hit the ground.

Following collection efforts, officers from the South Salt Lake Police Department presented the family with a new flag and flagpole. According to their post, officers even helped install it.

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