UTAH COUNTY, Utah, April 30, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The man fatally shot Saturday by a Utah County Sheriff’s deputy has been identified as Mark Daniel Bess.
Bess, 33 and a resident of the unincorporated Lake View area, west of Spanish Fork, was shot after authorities say he threatened the deputy with a knife.
Sgt. Spencer Cannon, UCSO spokesman, confirmed to Gephardt Daily that a deputy attempted to serve three warrants on Bess at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday at an address near 4900 South and 3200 West.
The suspect, now identified as Bess, fled on foot, Cannon said. The pursuit lasted about 200 to 300 yards, and ended behind a gray barn. The suspect was armed with a knife.
“He stopped, maybe 40 or 50 feet away from the deputy,” Cannon said. “He produced a knife, held the knife in a threatening manner, he charged the deputy, and when he was maybe 10 to 15 feet away from the deputy, the deputy fired a couple of rounds, at least two rounds, both of which struck the suspect.”
One hit Bess in the head and the second hit his body, Cannon said. UCSO deputies did CPR on Bess, and AirCare, a medical helicopter, responded from Mountain View Hospital.
“The suspect was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, in Provo, in extremely critical condition, and has since been pronounced dead there at the hospital. The deputy did not sustain any injuries.”
Cannon said witnesses on the scene described what happened, saying the deputy gave the suspect multiple commands to drop the knife.
“The suspect failed to comply with those commands, and after he charged, that was when the deputy fired the rounds.”
Cannon said deputies had been to the location a week earlier, trying to serve the same warrants. One was on a felony drug charge out of Third District Court, in Salt Lake City, and a second was also drug related, Cannon said. The third was related to traffic violations.
Deputies had not found the suspect present on the earlier visit, Cannon said.
A UCSO statement released Saturday afternoon stated that Bess had been booked into the Utah County Jail 22 times on charges related to drugs, assault and domestic violence, theft, probation violations and traffic violation charges.
Officials from the sheriff’s and assisting agencies remained on the scene Saturday for a number of hours, documenting conditions and circumstances, and interviewing witnesses and the officers involved, as well as family members of he suspect.
Praying the deputies did not over react! Our thoughts and prayers are being sent to all concerned .