KEARNS, Utah, Sept. 30, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — An 8-hour standoff with two suspects sought in recent shootings ended late Friday night without shots fired.
Police announced the end to the siege to reporters on scene.
And to Facebook commentators who’d been asking all night when they could go home, police having cordoned off the area.
“Both suspects have been taken into custody,” the Unified Police Department Kearns Precinct announced to its followers online at about 9:40 p.m.. “We will be on scene, with roads blocked, for a bit longer but there is no longer a threat.”
A UPD SWAT team had the house surrounded fairly quickly earlier in the day. Police were first dispatched to the scene at 4300 W. 5780 S at 1:20 p.m., said Det. Arlan Bennett, a UPD public information officer, “They are suspects from a couple different shootings in recent weeks in Salt Lake County.”.
He said any detail on the suspects was not being released. Negotiators were on scene as well as SWAT, he said, but it wasn’t known if negotiators had made contact.
“They’re taking their time to prevent any loss of life,” Bennett said at 9 p.m.
UPD’s Kearns precinct advised on social media just after 2:30 p.m.:“Currently have a police incident with SWAT in the area of 4300 West 5780 South. Please stay away from that area.
“If you live on 5780 South between 4270 and 4500 W please stay in your houses. We will advise here when the situation is over.”
In response to commentators on Facebook asking if they could go home yet at 7:45 p.m. the precinct was advising the situation “is still ongoing … is still an active incident.” At 9 p.m. they had the same advise.
The Granite School District announced on its website shortly after police were dispatched that South Kearns Elementary was in lockdown because of UPD activity two blocks east of the school, advising parents not to come to the school. The lockdown was lifted by 4:18 p.m.
