Man accused of threatening to shoot Gov. Cox, other officials, arrest documents say

SALT LAKE CITY — A man was taken into police custody on Friday after allegedly making threats against Utah officials over the phone the day before.

A probable cause statement for the incident said 63-year-old Douglas Wilford Pace called the Utah Senate on Thursday, asking to speak with the Senate President. The statement said that when he was told he couldn’t speak with him, he began to make threats.

“The assistant remembered Pace saying, ‘Once I get my hands on a weapon, I will shoot Governor Cox, Deidre Henderson, and Stuart Adams in the head,’” the statement said.

According to the statement, Pace has a history of making “harassing” phone calls to government officials, and had even been issued a cease and desist order from calling the Lt. Governor’s office. He also reportedly called the office of the Governor 50 times last week.

“His phone calls in the past year have become increasingly hostile and is showing an increase in aggression,” the statement said.

Pace was charged with making threats of terrorism in the past, the statement said. He pled in abeyance in that case, and some of the charges were dropped.

The statement said Pace has a traumatic brain injury that is likely contributing to his behavior, and an officer requested he have a mental health screening after his arrest.

Pace is accused of three felony counts of making threats of terrorism, as well as three misdemeanor counts of making threats of violence and three misdemeanor counts for threatening assault on an elected official. He was booked into the Utah County Jail.