TAYLORSVILLE, Utah, Nov. 15, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Police were dispatched on a report of a shooting just prior to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at a residence in Taylorsville.
When officers arrived at the scene, at 2219 W. 4185 South, they found that the victim was across the street at a neighbor’s home.
“He did not have a gunshot wound, he had an injury to his hand,” Unified Police Lt. Paul Barker said.
“The information we got from him was that he heard a knock on the door, a female voice said something, he opened the door, and a male immediately assaulted him, pepper sprayed him,” Barker told Gephardt Daily.
The suspect and the victim fought, and the victim was able to grab a gun that he kept in the living room, Barker said.
“They wrestled, and the gun discharged. The suspect made a comment about being shot and fled,” Barker said.
The victim told police that, because he was sprayed in the face, he couldn’t see, but he thought he heard two people leaving and the comment about being shot.
Barker said officers contained the area and brought in K9s to search, in case the suspect had a gunshot wound and was nearby, but they found neither a suspect nor blood. The only evidence that a shooting had taken place was a shell casing inside the house.
Police also checked with local hospitals, but no one with a gunshot wound had shown up there, he said.
It isn’t known if the victim was specifically targeted by the assailant or why, but he was justified in defending himself, Barker said.
Officers are checking with neighbors for surveillance cameras and are asking anyone in the area who has doorbell-camera footage from around 10:30 p.m. to call the Unified Police Department at 801-743-7000.
Anyone who has any information about the incident that would help in the investigation is encouraged to call UPD. Tips can be made anonymously, but it’s best to provide your name and phone number in case the police need to contact you, Barker said.
