This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Parowan man was shot to death after allegedly pointing a handgun at a police officer arriving to investigate a child abuse complaint Thursday night.
Cedar City police Sgt. Jimmy Roden said the shooting took place shortly after a Parowan officer responded to a 911 report of a male suspect striking a 9-10 year old boy in the face.
When the officer approached the suspect about 9 p.m. in his driveway near 800 West and 200 South, the suspect, possibly intoxicated, allegedly became aggressive and pulled and pointed his handgun at the officer.
As the suspect continued to approach, the officer fired, striking him twice. Roden would not detail where on his body the suspect was wounded. However, efforts by the officer and paramedics to render medical aid failed, and he was pronounced dead before he could be taken to the hospital.
The shooting is being reviewed by the multi-agency Iron County Critical Incident Task Force, of which the Cedar City Police Department is a part.
Roden did not release the officer's name, nor did he immediately provide the identity of the victim.
The child reportedly suffered only minor injuries.
A neighbor, Shane Neyome, told the St. George Spectrum that while he described the deceased as usually being "a nice guy."
However, Neyome added, "At home when he drinks, like a lot of people would, he get out of control sometimes."
He also said that shortly before police were called, the man "was drunk and was hitting his kid."
Twitter: @remims