This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A man was in critical condition Friday after an attempt by narcotics officers to question him in an Ogden restaurant sparked an altercation that ended in gunfire.
The man, 36-year-old Leonard Russell Marion, was being cared for Friday in McKay-Dee Hospital's Intensive Care Unit and was in critical condition Friday.
A 13-year veteran officer from the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force was treated for an unspecified, non-shooting related injury at the same hospital and released early Friday morning.
Ogden police Lt. Danielle Croyle said two of the strike force officers had tracked Marion to Lee's Mongolian Bar-B-Q, at 2866 S Washington Blvd., just before 8 p.m. The officers entered the restaurant and confronted Marion, who was wanted for questioning in a case involving methamphetamine possession and fleeing from law enforcement in a vehicle.
Croyle said the officers approached the suspect initially to just ask him some questions.
"They went in there to talk with him in regards to a criminal investigation, an altercation ensued and escalated, and shots were fired," she said.
Witnesses described the altercation at one point becoming a wrestling match involving the two officers and the suspect. Then, two shots were fired, striking Marion.
Croyle confirmed that Marion was armed with a handgun, but she could not confirm that the man had fired his weapon.
"That's still being investigated," she said.
There were other customers inside the eatery, which was reportedly minutes away from closing for the night, but no other injuries were reported.
Court records show Marion has a long criminal history that includes convictions on numerous drug possession and distribution counts, theft, firearms violations and criminal trespassing. He was awaiting a Nov. 24 appearance in 2nd District Court on his latest charges: a second-degree felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two third-degree felony counts of exposing a child to a controlled substance, and misdemeanor counts of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Croyle could not answer questions about why the officers decided to approach the suspect inside the restaurant, rather than possibly waiting for the suspect to exit.
She would not release the identity of the officer who fired his weapon, but did confirm he is a 13-year law enforcement veteran with the Ogden Police Department and had been appointed to the multi-agency task force.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending review of the shooting by both the Ogden Police Department and Weber County Attorney's Office.
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