CLINTON -- Two Layton men discovered that trying to rob military personnel may not be a good idea.
Samuel Jay Taylor, 30, and Dalton Robert Jaques, 27, are charged with first-degree felony robbery in connection with pointing a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun at four people late Friday night at a Clinton residence. Both appeared in 2nd District Court in Farmington on Monday.
Clinton Police Chief Bill Chilson said the two men admitted to drinking earlier in the day Friday and discussed how to find a man who took money from Taylor in a drug deal.
"They drove around for a while, but then decided to rob someone to get some money," Chilson said.
They watched people departing Walmart in Layton but decided "no one there had any money," Chilson said.
They then drove to Bogey's in Clearfield and spotted four "nicely dressed" people -- two men and two women -- leaving. They followed that vehicle to a Clinton address.
"(Jaques then) got out of the truck with a 12-gauge shotgun and told them to get on the ground and give them money," Chilson said.
One of the male victims started talking to Jaques, which distracted him enough that one of the women jumped up and grabbed the shotgun barrel, Chilson said.
The four are enlisted in a military branch, according to Chilson, who did not know which branch.
"They do know how to defend themselves," Chilson said.
The victims and the suspects then began to brawl.
Chilson said he would not recommend doing what the four victims did.
"On one hand, I want to call them stupid. But on the other hand, I'd probably do the same, especially if my life was at stake," he said.
Chilson said the shotgun was loaded and the victims and the suspects were "lucky it didn't go off and kill someone.
"If it did, what would we be talking about now?" Chilson added.
Taylor, who was in the truck, jumped out and punched one of the victims in the face. Jaques then threw what money the victims had given them on the ground.
They left the scene heading northbound, then T-boned another vehicle on 1800 North in Clinton, Chilson said.
The robbery victims and the accident victims wrote down the license plate number of the truck, which led police and Davis County Sheriff's deputies to Taylor and Jaques at their separate homes in Layton. Both were booked in Davis County Jail early Saturday morning.
Taylor and Jaques were ordered to have no contact with the victims and given a $10,000 bail. Hearings have been set for Dec. 30 for Taylor and Jan. 15 for Jaques.
Taylor is also charged with three class B misdemeanors and one class C misdemeanor in connection with the incident and accident that followed.
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