STRAIGHT EDGER CHARGED IN ASSAULT AT WEST VALLEY PARTY

An 18-year-old West Valley man was charged Thursday with six counts of
assault after he allegedly burst uninvited into a party and punched and
sprayed six people in the face with mace. Police say the man was one of as
many as eight members of a violent faction of the Straight Edge movement who
participated in the melee in a West Valley City on May 2.

Sam Dickson is wanted on $100,000 bail and is also charged with aggravated
burglary. A witness said the assailants showed up at the party and asked if
anyone was drinking alcohol.

Straight Edge members do not consume alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. A small
percentage believe that no one else should be allowed to smoke, drink or use
drugs.

A witness said a woman who lived in the house asked the men to leave because
she did not know them. The witness said the men began to leave, but started
an argument with another woman in the front yard about alcohol use and then
forced their way back into the house through the front door. Charges state
Dickson ran downstairs and then
upstairs.

While doing so, he and the other men allegedly sprayed pepper-spray in the
faces of other guestsand punched them. At least one victim was knocked to
the ground and beaten.

Charges state Dickson told police he did go to the party, was asked to leave
and "the defendant further stated that he did enter the residence and began
to hit whomever he saw in the residence."

The incident left the witness feeling scared. "I've never even dealt with
Straight Edgers before.

My friends are acting like it's not a big deal, but I'm scared.

I'm just worried that they will come after us."