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WEST JORDAN — A struggle over a board game between a woman and her 15-year-old son turned violent when the boy threatened his mother with a machete he received as a Christmas present.

Officers responded Saturday night to a home on South Dixie Drive in West Jordan after receiving a call from someone in the home, according to Sgt. Keith Bronson of the West Jordan Police Department. The woman had an injury to her nose. Police said the boy had the machete in hand when making threats, but said the boy claimed he didn't remove the knife from its sheath.

Police said the fight ensued after a board game was turned over and the boy couldn't find all the pieces. The boy was in police custody as of Sunday morning.

Sgt. Bronson said police respond to many calls that begin as arguments over something small.

"We find that people have a wide range of coping skills," Sgt. Bronson said. "Some of them are good and positive and some of them are not. Of course, this was a good example of what not to do — when you become angry and decide to take on the adults in your house, specifically with a gift that they've given you just a few days earlier."

The situation serves as a reminder to involve police quickly when a situation begins to get out of hand.

"I'm glad we were able to get there and bring stability to this situation as quickly as possible. We would encourage parents or people who are in charge of young people to call police as soon as they feel their own anger is getting out of hand. Police officers can often get in there quickly and and help diffuse a situation if we can be contacted early enough."

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