A Salt Lake City police officer fatally shot a man and also shot a fellow officer Monday during a call to help with a mentally ill person.
Police went to the Sunrise Metro apartments, 580 S. 500 West, at about 1:30 p.m., after someone reported a problem involving a person with a mental illness, said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Brandon Shearer. Two officers arrived first, followed by an officer who specializes in mental illness, Shearer said.
The mentally ill man produced a weapon, Shearer said, and an officer fired at him. The officer killed the man and also shot another officer, Shearer confirmed. “Officers have to make split-second decisions," which can make the job difficult, he said.
Shearer did not disclose the weapon carried by the man. “It was a very dynamic situation,” he said. “Things unraveled very quickly.”
Shearer said the officer who was shot was recovering at home on Monday night. “It could have been worse,” Shearer said, saying he was grateful the officer wasn’t injured more seriously.
The department will be releasing body-cam footage in 10 days, per city policy, and expects to provide more details about the shooting at that time. Unified Police is investigating the shooting.
Opened in March 2007, Sunrise Metro is a 100-unit complex designed to help end chronic homelessness, according to the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake Tribune will update this developing story.