WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A man was arrested Friday afternoon in West Jordan after reportedly shooting a gun in public and fleeing from police.
A man was parked on the side of State Route 111 when he got out of the car and fired at least one gunshot, said Lt. Steve Bearshall with the West Valley City Police Department.
“I don't know for sure that he was actually wanting to harm other people," he said. "I think he was just in a situation where he wanted to be left alone and that was his reaction.”
The man’s family had called police earlier in the afternoon, concerned that he had left home with a gun and was suicidal, said Lt. Beardshall. Due to "procedure," officers no longer respond to suicidal subjects and did not initially intervene.
“We, at that point, decided that we were going to back off and allow for him to have some time to figure things out," said Lt. Beardshall.
At about 2 p.m., passersby began calling police, saying the man was now waving the gun at the highway, according to the West Valley City Police Department. Officers blocked off traffic in the area.
Last year, the Utah legislature amended the state code for law enforcement officer use of deadly force, specifying that officers are justified to use force when "The officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to an individual other than the suspect."
“That has changed some of the tactics that we use as police officers, and probably rightly so," said Lt. Bearshall. "That is why at first we decided to not confront the male when he was only sitting in his car, threatening to hurt himself.”
The man got back in his car and sped south down the highway. Unified Police officers stepped in, placing a tire spike strip on the road to safely stop his car so West Valley officers could approach the man in their armored car and speak to him over a loudspeaker.
“That armored vehicle is invaluable in these situations," said Lt. Beardshall. "It allows us to confront someone who might be armed without putting our officers in danger."
The man then surrendered his gun and was safely taken into custody. He was booked into jail on four counts of felony discharge of a firearm, reckless driving and disorderly conduct.
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For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org.
