Utah Police Officer Arrested In 'Paranoid' Kidnapping Of Family Member On Thanksgiving

A Utah police officer has been arrested for what authorities described as the "paranoid" kidnapping and assault of his family member on Thanksgiving.

Scott Elliott Russell, a master officer with South Jordan Police, is facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, trespass and interruption of a communications device. Russell was booked into the Juab County Jail and has been placed on administrative leave since, CBS-affiliated KUTV 2 reported.

Citing the arrest report, the publication indicated that authorities first responded to Utah Valley Hospital on Nov. 26 where the victim was receiving treatment for injuries resulting from the kidnapping incident. The victim told arriving officers that they were attending a family Thanksgiving gathering in Provo when Russell offered to take the victim for a ride. However, when the victim asked Russell if they could return home, the suspect refused and kept driving along the I-15 highway. Police didn't identify the victim.

"The victim became alarmed when their request to be taken home was denied. [Russell's] behavior became more irrational and paranoid, at one point, taking the victim's phone and disabling it," the arrest report said as per the publication.

Russell then pulled over his vehicle off an embankment where he asked the victim to get out of the car, get rid of any personal belongings and lay face-down on the ground. The victim complied with Russell's orders knowing that the policeman was carrying a weapon off-duty. Russell then removed his firearm, threw it off the fence and led the victim to an abandoned property, where he left the victim alone and walked away.

After some time, the victim felt safe to escape and sought help from a motorist on the highway. The victim was later taken to the hospital by a family member. Russell dialed 911 to falsely report that he got into an accident and that there was another person with him at the time of the incident. Police towed Russell's vehicle from the river, according to KUTV 2.

When investigators interrogated Russell for the allegations brought against him, he claimed that he had been "set-up."

"It was hard to follow [Russell's] recollection of events. [Russell] claimed he had been set up and believed he was actively being watched by an unknown organization ... [Russell] claimed again [he was] being watched by individuals and wanted these individuals to see him openly discard the firearm so they knew he didn’t pose a threat," the arrest report stated, according to the outlet.

Russell was being held without bail and it wasn't clear if he had an attorney. A court date for Russell has not been set yet.