https://www.facebook.com/slcpd/videos/1063649283982581/
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 10, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Unified Police officials have identified a woman whose body was found Monday after a domestic dispute that left a responding Salt Lake City Police officer shot in the lower extremities.
The dead woman is Natalie Thurber, 34, said a tweet from UPD Monday afternoon.
“Our deepest condolences to her family and friends,” the tweet said.
Officers were dispatched shortly after 3:30 a.m. to an apartment in the area of 125 South and 300 East after someone “experiencing distress” called for help, said Salt Lake City Police Department Chief Mike Brown at a 9:30 a.m. press conference.
“While investigating this incident, our officers confronted a man, through an apartment window,” Brown said. “There was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect fled the scene, and our officers located a deceased female, inside the apartment.”
An SLCPD officer was shot in that exchange of gunfire, Brown said.
Two officers have been placed on administrative leave as a result of the incident, as per protocol, and Unified Police Department will be investigating both the officer-involved critical incident and the homicide.
“Sadly, in this case, a woman lost her life, and that tears at the fabric of our community” Brown added. “I have visited with our officer in the hospital, he and his family, and his spirits are good, despite what has occurred this morning. And he is expected to recover, although, it’s going to be a long road.”
Brown added: “I want to thank the officers, and, this is really important, the officers on scene that applied tourniquets, and provided emergency medical care to our officer, and pulled him to safety. I want to thank the EMS, the Salt Lake City Fire personnel, that treated and transported our officer to the hospital, and I really want to thank the staff at the hospital, who are taking great care of him right now.
Brown said body camera footage would be released within 10 days, as is protocol.
The wounded officer, who was shot in his lower extremities, is reported to be in stable condition with non life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was found a few blocks away from the shooting scene and is receiving treatment for a gunshot wound.
“I want you to know, I probably don’t have all the details you’re looking for right now,” Brown told reporters. “I trust that in this situation, our officers had the training, the ability, and the judgement to react, and take care of this dynamic and very violent situation. I am proud of the women and men of this department, and the work that they do daily. They answer the call every day, putting their lives on the line, to protect life, liberty and this community that they love. I am thankful, I am so thankful, that our officer is expected to recover.”
The injured officer’s name has not been released.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenall was also at the Monday morning press conference.
“Because we know less that we’d like to at this point, I will just express my saddened heart that I think the department and the community feels at the tragedy that happened earlier this morning, both for the woman that lost her life and for our officer, fortunately who will recover, but who was badly injured,” she said.
“I’m grateful to the police department, for their bravery, and their willingness to protect and serve us in the community.”
Gephardt Daily will update this developing story as more information becomes known.
