Lieutenant Dave Mitchell, Iron County Sheriff’s Office
Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 17:13 hours, dispatch received a report concerning a weapon offense in progress in Beryl, Utah. The reporting party, who is also the property owner, indicated that 65-year-old John Gorecki had made threats to shoot him while accusing him of theft.
As deputies proceeded to the location, they contacted the property owner, who explained that Gorecki was residing in a motorhome on his land and owed $100 monthly rent for the space. The property owner reported encountering Gorecki while on his way to work; Gorecki appeared disoriented and mentioned that he was searching for the water station. During this interaction, Gorecki confronted the property owner with accusations of stealing Alka-Seltzer. The property owner denied these claims, resulting in Gorecki labeling him a thief, which escalated the situation.
The property owner, expressing frustration over the accusations, informed Gorecki that he wished him to vacate the premises, officially evicting him. In response, Gorecki became highly agitated and threatened the property owner and his girlfriend, brandishing a handgun from his waistband and pointing it at the property owner, who, in fear for his life, lowered his head and departed the scene expeditiously.
Concerned for his girlfriend’s safety, the property owner returned to his property and informed her of Gorecki’s threat, as well as that he had pointed a black handgun at him. He requested that she leave with him, but she declined. The property owner subsequently informed deputies that Gorecki had returned to his property and again expressed concerns for their safety, stating, “He is going to shoot us.’ He then left the scene to attend to his employment obligations.
Upon arrival, deputies engaged with the girlfriend, who indicated that she was unaware of the ongoing situation and refused to leave her trailer. For her safety, deputies once again requested that she exit the trailer and take refuge in one of their vehicles, but she declined.
After establishing a perimeter around the motorhome, deputies commanded Gorecki to exit his Motorhome. For approximately two hours, deputies continued to request his compliance, though he offered no response. Given the threats made and the presence of a firearm, the Iron Metro SWAT team was deployed to the scene.
Once SWAT arrived, they took control of the situation and instructed Gorecki to exit the motorhome. However, he did not respond. SWAT operatives then approached the motorhome, breached the entry door, and again called for Gorecki to come out, but received no response.
In a decisive response to the prolonged standoff, SWAT broke several windows and deployed CS gas, confirming visually that Gorecki was inside the motorhome. Despite ongoing commands for him to surrender, Gorecki remained uncooperative. Consequently, SWAT utilized a 40mm non-lethal projectile, which struck Gorecki in the forearm. He subsequently exited the trailer and was taken into custody without further incident or injury.
Following his apprehension, Gorecki was transported to Cedar City Hospital for evaluation due to exposure to CS gas and being struck by a non-lethal projectile. Upon medical clearance, he was transferred to the Iron County Correctional Facility, where he was booked on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, interference with a peace officer, threatening violence, failure to obey an officer, and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
We want to thank Gold Cross Medical, the Utah Highway Patrol, and the Beryl Fire Department for their vital assistance during this incident.