MIDVALE, Utah, Feb. 21, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A Unified Police officer is recovering from blast injuries after he deflected a gun as it was fired by a 4-year-old boy outside a Midvale McDonald’s.
According to Sgt. Melody Cutler, Unified Police Department, officers were called to the McDonald’s after a drive-thru customer was given the wrong order and became angry before brandishing a gun at the drive-thru worker.
The suspect since has been identified as 27-year-old Sadaat Johnson, of Salt Lake City.
“They had him pull forward while they remade his order, and of course they called the police and we responded,” Cutler said. “Our officers arrived on scene. He (the customer) was not compliant, and would not get out of the vehicle, so officers pulled him out of that vehicle.”
Cutler said the man continued to be non-compliant with the main officer dealing with him, and “the other officer turned and saw a firearm coming out of the vehicle. He pushed that firearm away, as that gun went off the same time. So he’s got some injuries, minor injuries to his arm from the blast.”
It was the man’s 4-year-old son who fired the gun, Cutler said, reportedly at his father’s instruction.
“We have a witness telling us that that’s what happened, but we are currently still investigating that,” Cutler said. “But yeah, we do have a witness that told us that.”
Cutler said the fired bullet did not strike anyone, but did go through the McDonald’s awning.
A Monday evening update from UPD says Johnson is facing charges of felony child abuse and threatening the use of a dangerous weapon.
The McDonald’s is just east of Interstate 15 at 7200 South, about a block north of a Motel 6 visible from I-15.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as details are released.
