Utah official 'apologizes' after video reveals him pressuring police to release lawfully arrested son

 A San Juan County Commissioner is "apologizing" after bodycam footage revealed him pressuring police to release his lawfully arrested son.

"It appeared to me that [Bruce Adams] was trying to use his influence as a County Commissioner to intimidate me into showing information that I was not permitted to do," San Juan Sheriff's Deputy Wyatt Holyoak said, per KUTV's reporting.

November's traffic stop incident

Bodycam footage shows Bruce Adams' disturbing interaction with San Juan County Sheriff's Deputy Wyatt Holyoak following a November 25, 2022, traffic stop, KUTV reported.

Earlier in the evening, Deputy Brayden Giddings pulled over Bruce Adams' son, Kenneth Adams, for failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to signal. Additional officers came to the scene after the deputy discovered Kenneth Adams had an outstanding warrant, the validity of which Kenneth Adams disputed. Kenneth then phoned his parents, the outlet notes.

Deputy Wyatt Holyoak, also at the scene, next suggests Kenneth Adams' car be released to his parents, per the footage.

The commissioner's demands

Holyoak reports that Commissioner Adams, on arriving to pick up the car, demanded to see the "mother f*ck*ing warrant"; said he wanted the officer to "turn [Kenneth] loose"; and then threatened to "sue the son-of-a-b*tch county sheriff because he arrested my kid on a false warrant," the outlet also said.

After the deputy received permission from his superiors to "de-escalate the situation" by showing Adams his son's warrant, the commissioner reportedly continued to argue the document was "false."

A disputed apology

Commissioner Adams later called the sheriff's office to complain about his son's arrest. After that, then-Sheriff Jason Torgerson expressed concern about Adams' "lack of professionalism" in a meeting at the county's public safety building, KUTV's reporting explained.

Though Adams says he apologized to the sheriff's office, the reports do not mention any such apology. "I called the sheriff the next day and I said, you know, I shouldn't have done what I did," Adams told KUTV's Daniel Woodruff Thursday.

"It's embarrassing for me to act that way," Adams also told the outlet. "I feel bad that I did that. But I was emotional."

Adams denied acting as a county commissioner at the time of the incident. "In my opinion, I was acting as a father," he also said.

San Juan County's Commission website lists Adams as the chair of the elected board. The body is charged with "responsibilities for the executive and legislative powers, duties and functions of the county."