MINERSVILLE, Utah — A man is behind bars after police found another man suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest in a garage in Minersville on Sunday.
The unidentified victim was only described as a 38-year-old man. The suspect in the shooting, Mike Allen Miller, 25, was booked into the Beaver County jail and faces a possible murder charge.
Arrest documents obtained by FOX 13 News said police officers arrived to the home at 2:28 a.m. at 388 W. 100 South after 911 calls about a man being shot.
The first officer on scene described a bloody scene.
"I arrived and located the male in the garage area. I observed that
the male was slumped over and bleeding from an obvious wound in his back, near his left shoulder blade," the officer wrote. "I observed that the male had bled onto the concrete floor, steps and just inside of a doorway, that entered the residence through the garage."
Despite his wound however, police said the man wasn't dead.
"The male was semi responsive and had told several medical staff that he did not shoot himself," the officer wrote.
The victim was taken to the Beaver Valley Hospital by
ambulance where he died from his injuries.
Police interviewed witnesses who said Mike Allen Miller had been arguing with the victim earlier in the day and did also have a .9mm pistol.
Around 07:45 a.m. Sunday, police found Miller parked down the street and took him into custody. Officers found the pistol on the front passenger seat of his car.
Officers said Miller claimed he shot the victim in self defense and that he
"thought he was protecting other residents in the home."
According to the documents, Miller admitted that he did not initially feel any remorse for his actions.
Miller also allegedly told officers that the victim was closing a door and possibly holding onto the wrist of his spouse, at the time of the shooting.
Miller allegedly told officers that he was "not going to allow the male victim to go into his own residence."
After interviewing Miller, police determined that there was no immediate threat of serious bodily injury or death to Miller at the time.
Miller allegedly admitted to officers interviewing him that there were other options he could have used besides deadly force.
