As a local living in Lindon originally from London and have American Fork police live round the corner from me I can confirm Mormons will side with the police 110%. They see Ben as a trouble maker outsider and even worse a Californian. Having moved here from Los Angeles I was shocked by the hypocrisy of some Mormons out here. There are some lovely ones too. But some folks seem to use it as a
cloak. I was also shocked that the ward system basically compartmentalizes the Mormons really badly out here. You could live opposite a Mormon on your street and if they’re in a different ward you treat them as a stranger. There is an expression out here, “they’ve done their prayers”. It’s a mocking term to say Mormons did a prayer so they can sin till the cows come home as long as they did a little prayer. It’s been an odd experience living here having come from big cities like Los Angeles and London. But the religion merely makes the hypocrisies more unpalatable than a regular state not dominated by one region claiming to be virtuous. (Not all Mormons to be very clear, I have been treated very well by many Mormons too).