OGDEN, Utah, June 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A police officer is home and recovering from surgery following a shooting outside an Ogden apartment complex Tuesday afternoon.
Ogden City Police Chief Eric Young offered a mostly positive update on the officer’s condition during a news conference Friday, along with more information about the shooting at Washington Park Apartments, 170 N. Washington Blvd.
Brian D. Simonton, 37, was struck by several rounds as eight officers returned fire, Young said. Simonton was pronounced dead at the scene.
“This could have been far worse than it was,” he said, noting the apartment complex’s busy parking lot and its close proximity to Ogden-Weber Technical College.
An officer was responding to a call about a violation of a protective order at 3:26 p.m. at the apartment complex just south of the technical college, Young said.
“The caller was the protected person in that protective order, and she advised that [Simonton] … was at her apartment, acting strange, acting as if he wanted to kill himself or wanted to be killed,” he said.
A uniformed officer arrived in his patrol car and spotted Simonton “walking in the parking lot [and] carrying a handgun,” Young said.
“The officer issued verbal commands to Simonton to drop the weapon repeatedly, even calling him by name and asking him to drop the weapon,” the chief said. “Simonton did not not comply and ultimately raised the handgun, pointed it at the officer and fired.”
Simonton continued to fire at the officer and others also responded, Young said. In all, eight police officers returned fire, he said.
During the exchange of gunfire, the first officer to respond was struck in his lower arm, the chief said. The bullet then “traveled up through his arm, into his upper arm and struck him in the chest,” Young said.
“The round didn’t enter his chest, but it did cause damage in the area of his chest,” he said.
Young said the officer is “in good spirits,” but that his injuries are “significant.”
“We expect him to make a full recovery at some point,” he said.
Some property damage occurred during the shooting, but no others were injured, Young said.
“We’re very pleased that no citizens were harmed in the exchange of gunfire,” he said. “I commend the victim of the initial domestic violence call for getting herself to a safe place and calling the police to handle the situation.
“Domestic violence is a serious problem in all of our communities. If you know someone or you are experiencing domestic violence, please reach out for help. In Ogden, Your Community Connection, YCC, has been serving domestic violence victims and sexual assault victims for decades. They understand the fear and anxiety that results from being trapped in an abusive relationship, and they can help.”
The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Weber/Morgan Critical Incident Task Force, Young said. All eight officers who returned fire have been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, he said.
