WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Nov. 14, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City Police officials have released more information in the officer-involved shooting that sent two teenagers and one police officer to area hospitals with gunshot wounds.
The incident happened on the evening of Nov. 7 after the off-duty West Valley City Police officer went to check his mail at a communal mailbox at 1250 W. 3301 South.
As he walked back to his residence, the officer ” … was confronted by two suspects armed with a handgun in what appears to be an attempted aggravated robbery in which the officer feared for his life,” says a statement released Tuesday by the West Valley City Police Department.
“During the course of this robbery, multiple rounds were fired both at the officer and by the officer. The officer was shot once. Both suspects were shot, and fled the scene.”
The officer contacted police dispatch by radio and informed officials he had been shot, the statement says.
“Shortly after this call, two teenage suspects in the case arrived at a local hospital in a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle fleeing the scene where the officer was shot. A 17-year-old male had sustained a single gunshot wound. A 15-year-old male sustained two gunshot wounds.
“The off-duty officer was not in uniform, and there was no information to indicate that the suspects knew that their intended victim was a police officer.”
The officer, a 3-year department veteran assigned to patrol, was taken to University Hospital. He had one gunshot wound to his right foot. He was treated, and sent home to recover, according to the WVCPD statement.
“The 17-year-old suspect was released from the hospital and booked into juvenile detention by the Unified Police Department’s protocol investigators,” the statement says. “The 15-year-old suspect is still receiving medical treatment. He will be booked upon his release.
“The criminal case involving the suspects, along with the officer’s use of deadly force, will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office in the near future.”
The incident is being investigated by the Officer Involved Critical Incident Team, led by the Unified Police Department. Protocol requires that when an officer fires a gun, another agency handles the investigation in order to ensure impartiality.
West Valley City will release the results of the investigation once they become available.
