A woman was taken into custody on Tuesday for reportedly driving her pickup truck through a park in the West Valley and striking a child. The incident occurred in response to her belief that her own children were being harassed.
According to court records, 30-year-old Brandie Alexandria Gotch was arrested at her residence at approximately 4:30 p.m. following an incident at Westgreen Park on 87th Avenue, located between Olive and Northern avenues on February 27, 2024.
The report details that Gotch engaged in a confrontation with several young individuals and proceeded to go on a chaotic outburst following a visit to the local park with her four children.
It was reported that she walked over to a group of kids and began a shouting match with them.
Police report that Gotch grabbed a 14-year-old boy by the hair and pulled his head back and forth and side to side while yelling at him. She then proceeded to grab a sharp stick from her truck and ran after the boy, screaming, “I am going to kill you and run you over!”
Gotch then loaded her four children into her Silverado, and sped toward 15 kids standing in the park. She allegedly drove through park’s rock landscape area and ended up running over a girl’s ankle. It was noted that her children were not properly restrained with seat belts.
During the investigation, Gotch reported to police that she approached the group of children at the park after they had thrown wood chips at her children. She shared that her children have been experiencing bullying at school and she suspected it was also happening at the park.
Gotch has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and several charges of endangerment, aggravated assault with a lethal weapon, and aggravated assault on a minor. Her bail was established at $250,000.