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Man Assaulted On McCleod Creek By Bicyclist Over Off Leash Dogs

Carolyn Murray
/
McCleod Creek Trail

A man walking his dogs on the McCleod Creek Trail along SR 224 in Park Meadows, was assaulted by a passing bicyclist after having a verbal altercation. The dogs were off leash. Carolyn Murray has this:

According to Park City Police Department Captain, Phil Kirk, a man was walking his two medium size dogs along McCleod Creek Trail on August 16th. He was between Holiday Ranch Loop Road and Meadows Drive when a cyclist traveling south on the path, yelled at the dog owner for having his two dogs off leash.  The dog owner was attacked by the bicyclist which resulted in cuts and bruises and broken glasses. He walked to the Police Station on SR 224 and reported the incident at about 4:50 PM on the 16th. Kirk says they haven’t had this sort of alleged violence over a dog confrontation. 

 
“He was walking northbound on the trail and the bicyclist was going southboundand he admitted he did have his dogs off leash. As the bicycle was approaching, he called his dogs back to him, said that the bicyclist yelled at him for having the dogs off the leash. He responded that they were friendly dogs.  For whatever reason the cyclist took offense to that.  He came back and got off his bike and was angry enough that he got into an assault situation with the owner of the dogs. He came up to him, took him to the ground and actually punched the victim.”

 
There are designated off leash areas inside the city limits including the Library Field and the Park City owned Round Valley open space north and east of the Park Meadows neighborhood. 
The McCleod Creek Trail is a paved path that runs parallel to SR. 224 and it’s a very popular multi use city trail. It’s frequented by dog walkers, runners, cyclists, strollers and E-Bikes.  Mountain Trails Executive Director, Charlie Sturgis believes in the two seconds of kindness rule and doesn’t think an encounter such as this should have ended in violence as described by the victim. 

 
“The fact that the gentlemean’s dogs were not on a leash, I think there appears to be reasons to practice  higher levels of tolerance between trail users that the situation unnecessarily escalated when it really doesn’t sound like it ever should have escalated.”
 
Sturgis is a strong proponent in taking responsibility for your pets, your interactions and your attitude when on the trails. 

 
“Every now and then someone just goes by and gives you that attitude thing and you go really?  We live in a fairly tolerant community, let’s practice it a little bit.  I am all for if a dog attacks somebody, the dog owner needs to be responsible. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah….but you know to have a cyclist just tell you to put your dog on a leash just for the shear hell of it, you know I am not a fan. We need to be able to be out there as individuals. And if we have good dogs, deal with it and let’s not get too freakin’ wound up.”

 
 
The police are looking for the bicyclist. He was wearing a blue road biking outfit referred to as a kit and riding a black road bike. When he left the scene, he was riding south on the trail. He was estimated to be about 5 feet 10 inches tall with brown hair and possibly 25 years old. The police are continuing to investigate and would welcome any information about the incident. Call 435-615-5500
 

 

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