AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Dec. 5, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Investigators say the man and woman shot and killed in American Fork Sunday night had been involved in a romantic relationship.
They have been identified as SueAnn Sands, 39, of American Fork, and former boyfriend James Dean Smith, 33, of Orem.
The deadly shootings were reported around 7:26 p.m. when Utah Valley dispatchers received a 911 call from Sands, who screamed that her car was being shot at while she was in the Walmart parking lot.
When police arrived, they found the gravely wounded Sands inside a bullet-riddled Volkswagen. Sands had a gunshot wound to the head, and died at the scene.
Eight minutes later, police spotted a silver Chevy Tahoe, driven by Smith, in the parking lot of the Gordman’s store, southeast of the Walmart.
He led officers on a brief high-speed chase before screeching to a stop in the parking lot of the nearby Cinemark Theater.
Investigators said three officers — one from American Fork, one from Lehi, and one from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office — confronted Smith as he brandished a pistol. When he refused orders to drop his weapon, all three officers opened fire.
Smith was mortally wounded and died at the scene. Investigators said it’s unclear if he was killed by police gunfire or shot himself.
A statement released early Monday morning by Lt. Gregg Ludlow of the American Fork Police Department said Sands had been granted a temporary protective order against Smith. It was served on Nov. 20.
The Utah County’s Attorney’s Office will oversee the investigation by way of the Officer Involved Shooting Protocol Team.
Parallel investigations will be conducted by the American Fork Police Department, the Lehi Police Department, and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
