WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 1, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — An armed suspect shot by a West Valley City police officer after a confrontation Tuesday night has been identified.
West Valley City Police have identified Ricardo Lopez, 26, as the man shot by a WVC police officer.
Police say Lopez is a convicted felon, a documented gang member, and restricted from possessing firearms.
West Valley Police Chief Lee Russo said Lopez suffered a single gunshot wound during an incident that started at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the area of 3330 W. 4060 South.
“When officers arrived on the scene, they noticed residents were pointing in the direction of where the suspect had been seen with a firearm,” Russo said.
“After further investigation they actually encountered, by the side of a home, an armed individual. At that point shots were fired.”
Lopez, who police said lives in the area, was transported to the hospital in serious condition.
In keeping with protocol, Salt Lake City Police will be taking over the investigation.
Two of the officers, including the one who shot the suspect, were attending a K-9 training session nearby and did not have their body cameras on, but Russo said the other two did have body cams on and activated.
“The officers involved have been isolated and surrounded by other officers,” Russo said. “Of the four officers involved, only one fired his weapon.”
It is not clear at this time why the suspect discharged his firearm prior to officers arriving.
The Tuesday night officer-involved follows an unrelated case on Saturday night. Two Salt Lake City police officers fired on Abdi Muhamed, 17, after telling him to drop his weapon, which officers said was a metal object.
Witnesses at the said officers did not give Abdi time to drop the weapon, which they say was part of a broomstick. Abdi, reportedly hit with three bullets, remains in critical condition.
To read more about the that officer-involved shooting, click here. To see video of the shooting’s aftermath, click on this link.
And on Monday night, hundreds of Utah residents gathered at a rally sponsored by Utah Against Police Brutality, created in reaction to Abdi’s shooting. To read about the rally, click here.
