WEST BOUNTIFUL, Utah, Nov. 4, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 31-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a man in a West Bountiful parking lot had tracked his estranged wife’s vehicle and was waiting her and the victim Friday morning, police said.
West Bountiful police say Zachary Todd Carson, 50, was shot multiple times about 5 a.m. in a parking lot outside Lowe’s, 350 N. 545 West. Carson was unresponsive inside his vehicle when first responders arrived.
Jake Thomas Jackson was arrested later Friday following a SWAT standoff on U.S. 191 south of Moab, where Grand County sheriff’s deputies spiked his tires.
The SWAT team “utilized less lethal chemical munitions and at least one less lethal impact round in order to take [Jackson] into custody,” according to a probable cause statement filed in Farmington’s 2nd District Court.
Jackson is being held without bail in the Davis County Jail for investigation of:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Threat/use of a dangerous weapon in a fight, a class A misdemeanor
- Unlawful installation of a tracking device, a class A misdemeanor
- Assault, a class B misdemeanor
- Criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor
Jackson’s wife called 911 following the shooting and later was interviewed at the Bountiful Police Department.
The woman told police she had been separated from Jackson for approximately a year and that Carson had been helping her with divorce paperwork, the affidavit says.
The woman met Carson in the parking lot about 7:30 p.m. Thursday and they left together in his vehicle, according to video footage captured by Lowe’s.
About 2 a.m. Friday, Jackson arrived in a Chevy Silverado and began circling the parking lot, police said.
“It is presumed he locates her vehicle as he then parks across the parking lot away from her vehicle … but with [the vehicle] in view,” arrest documents say.
About 5 a.m., Carson and the woman arrived back in the parking lot, the woman said goodbye and walked to her vehicle, the affidavit says.
“When she was at her vehicle, she observed a male she recognized as [Jackson] walking from across the parking lot,” arrest documents say.
Police say “an argument ensued regarding [the woman] being with [Carson],” and Jackson pulled out a handgun.
“[The woman] tried to get in between the two males, and [Jackson] grabbed her and pushed her against her vehicle,” arrest documents say. The shove bruised the woman’s arm and left a mark on her back, police said.
Carson then told Jackson “he couldn’t treat her like that,” and Jackson responded by shooting him, police said.
“[Carson] fell into his driver compartment, and then [Jackson] shot him multiple times,” the affidavit says.
Jackson then turned and pointed the gun at his wife and ordered her to take him to his son, according to arrest documents.
“[The woman] got into her vehicle and did not unlock the passenger side door. She began to leave in her vehicle, and [Jackson] began pounding on the vehicle passenger side door with the handgun in his hand,” the affidavit continues, noting the action broke the door handle.
Police later obtained a search warrant for the woman’s vehicle and found a tracking device, arrest documents say.
Jackson was located in southern Utah via cellphone ping roughly 4 1/2 hours later, police said.
“Prior to taking [Jackson] into custody, officers had to disable [his] vehicle. [Jackson] barricaded himself inside his vehicle,” resulting in a SWAT response, arrest documents say.
