SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 9, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A man and a woman involved in a tense standoff with police at a downtown Salt Lake City motel Monday morning have been identified.
The suspects, John Mendenhall, 47, and Shelby McDougal, 21, were transported to jail and booked for aggravated assault against a police officer, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and obstruction of justice.
The all-night standoff at the Rodeway Inn at 600 S. 200 West started just after midnight, when police responding to a 911 hang-up call heard multiple gunshots coming from inside one of the rooms.
Police evacuated one floor of the hotel while negotiators spent the next few hours making contact with the room’s occupants, who refused to come out. The Special Weapons and Tactics team responded to assist on the critical incident.
At around 6 a.m. police brought the situation to a head when they fired tear gas into the room.
Multiple shots were then fired through the window of the room towards the officers, sending members of the media running for cover as bullets whizzed past them in a nearby parking lot.
SWAT was able to gain access into the room where both suspects were taken into custody unharmed.
