DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah, Dec. 7, 2022 — A Duchesne County Sheriff’s deputy shot a suspect threatening the officer with a knife twice, according to the sheriff’s office.
“The Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office was involved in an officer-involved shooting on December 5, 2022 at 9:17 p.m.,” according to a post on the sheriff’s Facebook page Wednesday evening.
“A Duchesne County deputy attempted to contact a man riding a pedal bike on a dark street during a heavy snowstorm.
“The man later identified as Lee Richens produced a large knife, threatened the deputy and led the deputy on a foot chase through the town of Myton.”
The suspect led the deputy to a heavily wooded area “where he turned and advanced on the deputy with the knife. The deputy fired two rounds injuring Lee.” Richens was treated locally and later transported to the Utah Valley Hospital for surgery, the sheriff said, and is in stable condition.
An investigation is currently ongoing, conducted by the Utah State Bureau of Investigations. “No further information will be released by this office at this time. All media requests concerning this incident must be requested through the Utah State Bureau of Investigations.”
SBI is an agency of the Utah Department of Public Safety, where Sgt. Cameron Roden, a public information officer, said he had no further information on the Duchesne incident, or detail on the suspect, other than SBI has been asked to do the Officer Involved Critical Incident investigation.
Roden said it’s presumed the deputy who fired the shots would be on administrative leave per normal protocol on such incidents.
