Brighton homeowner wants resort to help resolve trespassing problems, attorney says
Sep 10, 2024, 6:00 AM
Keith Stebbings, a homeowner in Brighton, confronts a snowboarder who entered his property. Stebbings, after facing court proceedings from the confrontation, is now asking the resort to help with the trespassing issue. (Loren Richardson Films)
(Loren Richardson Films)
BRIGHTON — The man caught on camera flashing a gun at a snowboarder in February wants Brighton Ski Resort to help with the ongoing trespassing problems.
In a viral video, Loren Richardson from California was snowboarding at the Brighton Ski Resort when he accidentally entered Keith Stebbings’s property. The footage showed Stebbings confronting Richardson with an unloaded rifle before letting the snowboarder walk away.
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In March, Stebbings was charged with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and making a threat of violence, a class B misdemeanor.
“He tried to address it himself. He put up no trespassing signs. And unfortunately, the problem continued. And that’s when he decided to try to take matters into his own hands, which was the wrong decision,” said Steve Burton, Stebbings’ attorney.
According to court documents, Stebbings accepted a plea deal that dismissed the threat of violence charge and agreed to a plea in abeyance of the aggravated assault charge.
Burton said his client believed he didn’t intend to do anything wrong and was within his rights confronting Richardson, but realized that a jury might not have seen it that way.
“He was forced with the decision of whether or not to go to trial. And any time you go to trial, there’s a risk that the jury might not see it your way,” Burton said.
Related: Brighton resident charged with aggravated assault for confronting snowboarder
Stebbings will have to take a gun safety course and is supervised by a private probation agency for at least 18 months. He also forfeited his gun to the Unified Police Department, which will be returned to him in December 2025.
“He’s got a couple firearms, but as part of the plea bargain, he agreed to dismiss the one that was in controversy in this case,” Burton said.
Court documents show that Stebbings had to write an on the use of deadly force in Utah, saying he was unaware that exhibiting an unloaded gun on private property was unlawful when someone is trespassing.
