Police arrested a man after he attempted to kidnap his three biological children Sunday evening from their adoptive parents, according to Grantsville City Police.
Tyler Nuckolls, 27, was waiting inside the adoptive parents’ Grantsville residence with a handgun when they returned home Sunday evening, a probable cause statement said. Nuckolls was ordered to have no contact with the children, all under the age of 14, and was not supposed to be at the home or have its address.
Upon entering the home, the father grabbed a shotgun after noticing something was strange, according to the statement. He was stopped by Nuckolls, who claimed he was a police officer and was placing the adoptive father under arrest.
The two men got into a scuffle before the adoptive father exited the back door and Nuckolls followed, the probable cause statement said. A second altercation followed, with Nuckolls then pointing the handgun at the father.
The father was able to talk Nuckolls into placing the handgun down if he also set down his shotgun, but Nuckolls stole the shotgun, according to the probable cause statement. With the adoptive father at gunpoint again, Nuckolls demanded the keys to the vehicle so he could leave with the three children, for whom he does not have parental rights.
The father told Nuckolls he would have to shoot him before he would give up the keys, the statement said. He then threw the keys over the fence and into a neighbor’s yard.
Nuckolls climbed over the fence and into the neighbor’s yard, taking the shotgun with him, and the neighbor called the police, according to the probable cause statement. Once he had the keys, Nuckolls went back to the vehicle and put the keys in the ignition.
The children’s adoptive mother fought with Nuckolls but was shoved out the door of the vehicle and dragged for approximately 24 yards down the driveway at the home while she attempted to keep him from fleeing with the children detained inside, the statement said.
While attempting to leave the driveway, Nuckolls hit a tree along the driveway, according to the statement. The oldest child was able to get out of the vehicle and the mother fought with Nuckolls again while two witnesses helped get the two younger children out of the vehicle to safety.
The mother stopped fighting once the children were safe but had suffered injuries from being dragged down the driveway and the vehicle collision with the tree, the statement said. Once the altercation ended, Nuckolls fled the area in the stolen vehicle.
Nuckolls was later located by officers in the Tooele City Police Department within their jurisdiction, according to the statement. He failed to respond to emergency lights on police vehicles and kept turning down different streets to lose pursuing officers.
Nuckolls eventually stopped and began to run, where he was tackled, detained and arrested by officers, the statement said. A Facebook post by the Grantsville City Police Department said two Tooele City Police officers were injured while making the arrest.