A protester opposing a data center was forcefully taken down by a deputy she allegedly struck just moments before.
This incident involved Aspen Azalea, who was tackled by a Utah County sheriff’s deputy following a Utah County Planning Commission meeting that focused on zoning regulations for data centers, as reported by KUTV. It highlights the escalating local backlash against data centers across the nation.
“He came around the corner, putting his weight into the turn and slammed me to the ground,” Azalea recounted to KUTV.
According to the sheriff’s office, Azalea did kick the deputy during the altercation. She, however, denies this accusation and claims she was unfairly targeted amidst a crowd of loud protesters.
Interestingly, another male protester was escorted out without incident, prior to the physical confrontation, KUTV noted.
Initial footage, shared on X, captured the deputy forcing Azalea to the ground. As she was being handcuffed, she mentioned her jaw hurting and that her face hit the ground hard.
“That sound you hear in the video is my jaw hitting the ground,” she explained.
BREAKING: Protester thrown to ground taken into custody at Utah County meeting Video from Tuesday night’s Utah County Commission meeting appears to show a protester being forced to the ground and taken into custody. The commission had just approved changes to the county’s land use ordinance allowing data centers in Mining and Grazing and Industrial zones, creating a Data Center Overlay Zone and setting development standards. A statement from UT for the People — No Tech Billionaires — said the protester was not being vocal when officers took her into custody and called her treatment unjust. The group said tensions rose after the vote, as residents yelled in opposition to the ordinance. 📹 Video & on Screen text courtesy @utvstechbillionaires @KUTV2News
— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) October 21, 2026
The protest group, UT for the People Not Tech Billionaires, presents itself as “[a] statewide platform uniting data center struggles across Utah toward a people’s program for AI development,” according to their Instagram bio.
The group did not provide immediate comments to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Another video shared on X Wednesday illustrates protesters disrupting the commission meeting just moments before their removal.
🎥 NEW VIDEO: What led to protesters being removed from Utah County meeting? Video shows the moments leading up to the removal of protesters from Tuesday night’s Utah County Planning Commission meeting, including a commissioner asking officers to remove them. The confrontation followed a vote on a proposed data center ordinance that drew opposition from residents. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office says one woman was arrested and two others were cited. The group that provided video of the arrest disputes the Sheriff’s Office account, saying the woman was not being vocal when deputies approached her. The incident is under supervisory review. @kutv2news
— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) October 21, 2026
The sheriff backed his deputies’ actions.
“The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our republic,” Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith stated publicly, as reported by KUTV. “However, it does not grant anyone an unlimited right to disrupt public meetings, ignore reasonable decorum, or hinder public proceedings.”
Requests for comments went unanswered from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, the Utah County Commission, and the Utah County Planning Commission.
Smith reiterated the claim that his deputy faced an assault.
“Violence against law enforcement officers is unacceptable, and our deputies ought to perform their duties without facing physical assault,” he remarked.
Deputies booked Azalea on three misdemeanors: disrupting a meeting, obstructing an arresting officer, and assaulting a police officer, as noted by KUTV.
