A man is in “serious or critical condition” after a violent altercation with a police officer ended with the man pointing a gun at police and being shot by officers.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the officer was getting gas at a Chevron station on the corner of 4500 South and 2300 East in Holladay when he either observed or heard a crash involving a motorcycle and a truck. As he approached to investigate, the man riding the motorcycle attempted to flee the scene, and the officer called for backup and pursued.
After a short foot chase, the officer and the man became engaged in “a pretty aggressive fight,” according to Rivera. At least one officer responded to the call for backup from the Unified Police Department’s precinct just down the street. The man is then said to have picked up a gun off the ground and pointed it at the officers, at which point one of the officers opened fire.
Rivera said it was not immediately clear where the man’s gun came from.
“We don’t know if it was the individual’s gun, if there was a gun there, if it was the officer’s gun,” she said. “… At least one witness said he heard the individual say he had a gun.”
Rivera said the man was transported to a hospital in either “serious or critical condition.” She said she did not have any more information immediately available on the man.
She added that at least one of the officers on the scene — there may have been more there in a support role — had a body camera turned on at the time. A bystander also apparently recorded some video of the shooting.
Rivera said that “Protocol Team 1” would now take over the investigation of the shooting. She said that no officers were injured, aside from perhaps some “scrapes” resulting from the fight, and that no one had yet been placed on administrative leave, pending the investigation.
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