Utah Man Arrested for Stalking Salt Lake Mayor Over Flag Changes

Jason Guy Rogers, a Farmington man, was arrested on charges of electronic communication harassment and stalking after allegedly making violent threats against Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on social media regarding her proposal to change city flags to include Pride, Juneteenth, and transgender visibility themes. The threats, which included messages urging harm to the mayor and her family, were made following the city council's unanimous approval of the new flag designs intended to comply with a state law banning certain flags on government property. When questioned, Rogers denied making the threats, claiming his account was hacked, but shortly after his questioning, he posted another aggressive message and was found near the mayor's workplace attempting to enter the building. The coordinated investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies and utilized surveillance and license plate reader technology to track Rogers. Mayor Mendenhall's office has expressed appreciation for the swift police response, emphasizing the seriousness of the threats amid the ongoing controversy over the city's flag changes. The new flags were adopted to circumvent a recent state law restricting which flags can be displayed on government buildings, a measure seen by many as targeting LGBTQ+ Pride and other symbolic flags.