Police, courts briefs

The name of a 23-year-old man killed Thursday night in a rope swing accident in Ferguson Canyon was released Friday.

Robert Clayton was with a group of friends swinging on a rope from a ledge atop a steep drop over a creek in the canyon. During Clayton's turn, he slipped from the rope and fell 30 to 40 feet onto the rocks below.

Clayton suffered severe head trauma. Unified Fire Authority Capt. Jay Fearnley said the man was unconscious but still breathing when UFA paramedics arrived but died during transport out of the area. About 20 rescuers, including personnel from Salt Lake County Search and Rescue and the UFA's Heavy Rescue Unit, were involved in efforts to move the victim from the rugged canyon to a dirt road about a half-mile away. Fearnley said a heavy tree canopy prohibited a helicopter rescue, though an Air Med unit did respond.

Man shoots and kills himself after standoff

NEW HARMONY, Washington County — A standoff between an armed man and sheriff's deputies ended after several hours Thursday when the man shot and killed himself.

The incident began when deputies received a call about a man making threatening telephone calls. When deputies arrived, the man fired a gun through the wall at the front doorstep, according to a release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office. No deputies were injured.

A SWAT team was called and surrounded the house. A negotiator worked several hours to try to get the man to drop his weapon and come out peacefully, according to the statement.

Deputies said the incident ended when the man committed suicide.

Anthrax scare leads to building evacuation

An anthrax scare forced the downtown Salt Lake offices of the FBI to evacuate for almost three hours Friday.

About 9:45 a.m., an employee was opening mail in a contained area as is protocol for all mail at the FBI headquarters because it is screened before it is distributed.

One letter addressed to the FBI was immediately identified as "hate mail" because of some writing that the FBI did not disclose Friday morning. Inside the envelope, the employee noticed a white powder, said FBI Special Agent Juan Becerra.

"He immediately stopped, took his gloves off, left the letter in the machine which is certified for hazmat incidents, and notified our office," he said.

All 120 employees of the FBI plus all the other businesses in the 13-story building at 200 South 257 East were evacuated.

Hazmat crews from the Salt Lake Fire Department collected the powdery substance into a sealed container and took it away for testing. The area where the mail was sorted was then sterilized before employees were allowed to return.

The FBI was allowed back into the building about 12:35 p.m.

There was no word of any injuries. The man who opened the mail was decontaminated by fire crews.

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