ST. GEORGE, Utah — A police response to a violent stabbing at a group home in St. George has sparked concern among neighbors after officers mistakenly entered the wrong home during their search for the suspect, a 72-year-old man with intellectual disabilities.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning when 20-year-old Kourtney Mansfield was attacked while working an overnight shift at a Chrysalis group home that provides care for adults with intellectual disabilities. Authorities say the suspect, identified as Chrysalis client Keith Johnson, stabbed Mansfield and fled. He was later arrested on charges of attempted murder and interfering with a peace officer. Johnson is currently being held without bail at Purgatory Correctional Facility.
Multiple residents reported witnessing Mansfield running through the street, bleeding and seeking help. According to neighbors who spoke with KUTV, the young caregiver knocked on several doors before a local couple was able to assist her and alert emergency services.
Responding officers arrived within minutes but mistakenly entered a home two doors down from the actual scene of the crime. That home, which belonged to a young family who was out of town for Memorial Day weekend, was unoccupied. Ring doorbell footage reportedly shows officers with guns drawn attempting to locate Johnson inside the wrong residence. After receiving no response, police used a sledgehammer to break down the door and remained on scene for about an hour. It is unclear how long they were inside the home.
Neighbors said they were alarmed by the delay in locating the suspect and the police’s handling of the situation.
“Multiple neighbors were very concerned with how the police handled it,” said Meghan Pomeroy, who lives nearby. “There was a long period of time where who knows what could have happened. They did not secure the situation very quickly.”
Pomeroy expressed concern that the time officers spent at the wrong location may have allowed Johnson more opportunity to harm others, especially considering the number of vulnerable individuals in the neighborhood.
“He was just in his house for a long time—a couple of hours,” she said. “There are other residents who are also intellectually disabled that he could have hurt. He could have hurt anyone else in the neighborhood.”
After officers eventually located Johnson at the correct residence and made an arrest, they attempted to secure the door of the mistakenly entered home and left a business card for the owners. However, neighbors said the front door was left wide open the following morning, with visible blood still present at the scene.
“I was surprised it hadn’t been cleaned up, and the door,” Pomeroy said. “They just left it wide open for the whole world.”
She and her children took it upon themselves to clean up the blood, and another neighbor later secured the door with nails.
“I don’t want little kids to see that, and I don’t want [the family] to come home to just a door full of blood,” she said.
Under Utah law, police officers are allowed to enter a home without a warrant under “exigent circumstances” if they believe someone inside may be in danger. Based on the trail of blood and officers calling the suspect’s name, authorities appear to have believed Johnson was inside the incorrect home.
St. George police have confirmed they are reviewing the incident and plan to release more information on Wednesday.
As for property damage, a spokesperson for the City of St. George said the homeowner may seek reimbursement by following procedures outlined in Utah statutes. However, the law may provide legal immunity to law enforcement when damage occurs during the course of official duties, depending on whether actions were deemed negligent or reckless.
Meanwhile, Mansfield remains hospitalized in stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery. She was scheduled to graduate from Dixie Technical College this week. Her family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her medical expenses as she recovers.