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Man suspected of shooting Provo officer arrested for attempted murder

keith justin taylor mug.jfif
Posted at 6:11 PM, Feb 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-27 20:30:32-05

PROVO, Utah — Police have identified the man accused of shooting and wounding an officer Thursday in Provo.

Officer John Oseguera with Provo Police was hit by gunfire while responding to an incident Thursday afternoon at Vista Ridge apartments.

Oseguera was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition. He underwent emergency surgery and was still recovering as of Saturday, according to the department.

READ: Provo officer shot during shootout awake, in good spirits

Provo Police identified the suspect Saturday as 44-year-old Keith Justin Taylor. He was arrested on three first-degree felony counts of attempted aggravated murder, as well as one third-degree count of felony discharge of a firearm.

Officers responded to Taylor's residence around 1 p.m. on reports of an armed man "acting crazy" who had fired at least one shot.

Taylor told police he worked for the National Security Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration. He also said he shot out a glass door because he was being harassed.

When officers tried to grab Taylor while speaking to him in the doorway, he slipped away and fled into the apartment. Police chased him, then he exited a bedroom with an AR-15 and started shooting at them, according to the report.

As officers returned fire, Taylor allegedly yelled things like "you're gonna die" and "this is your last will and testament."

Both Oseguera and Taylor were wounded during the gunfight, and once the shooting stopped, officers took Taylor into custody. They were both taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Taylor was released from the hospital Saturday and booked in the Utah County Jail. He faces three counts of attempted aggravated murder because he shot at the three officers who were responding, court documents state.

A judge ruled that he will be held without bail.

The incident is being investigated by a Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol Team.