SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, Feb. 18, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — An armed suspect police say was wanted for aggravated assault and holding a woman against her will was shot and killed along with a West Jordan police K-9 during an officer-involved shooting in South Jordan late Thursday night
The shooting took place about 7:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Jordan Credit Union at 1750 West 11400 South.
According to a statement released by the West Jordan Police Department, officers had been pursuing the suspect throughout the day after receiving reports about 11 a.m. of an alleged aggravated assault involving a “female” being “held against her will by a male armed with a handgun.”
Police said the woman was able to “flee her captor” who was a former co-worker and responding officers located the suspect on Jordan Landing Blvd. “When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect fled,” the WJPD statement said. “Due to safety considerations to the public, officers discontinued the pursuit.”
A short while later, police said they encountered the suspect for a second time. Officers “re-initiated the pursuit,” but once again “were forced to discontinue…due to safety considerations to the motoring public.”
While police continued their search for the suspect, investigators say he contacted a member of the woman’s family and “threatened them with a weapon.”
Detectives then contacted the suspect “and began to negotiate with him via telephone while keeping him under surveillance,” the WJPD statement said.
A third pursuit was initiated and the suspect’s vehicle tires were spiked, police said. “The suspect abandoned his vehicle – fleeing on foot with officers in pursuit.”
The suspect, who police say was armed with a handgun “was ultimately shot by officers in the parking lot of the Jordan Credit Union at 1750 West 11400 South in South Jordan. The suspect was pronounced dead on scene,” WJPD said.
“Unfortunately, Maya, a 6 1⁄2 year old Belgian Malinois from the West Jordan Police Department, was killed during the incident,” the WJPD statement said. “Our hearts go out to her handler and the entire West Jordan Police Department family and all those who knew Maya.”
Officers from multiple agencies were involved the shooting, including West Jordan Police, South Jordan Police and Unified Police, WJPD said.
An investigation into the officer-involved critical incident is being conducted by Protocol Team #3 from the West Valley Police Department, the WJPD statement said.
Officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave as per department policy, WJPD said.
Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information is made available.
(Writer Laura Withers and multimedia journalist Monico Garza contributed to this story.)
*Correction: The shooting took place about 7:15 p.m. Gephardt Daily’s original update misstated the time.
