OGDEN, Utah — Ogden police say one of their officers has been killed after an officer-involved shooting.

This happened early Thursday afternoon near Jackson Avenue and Harrop St. 

Around 12:15 p.m., a woman had called 911 claiming her husband was threatening to kill her. Then the line went dead.

Police say the young officer, with just 15 months of duty, was one of the officers responding to that domestic violence call. 

Ogden Police Chief Randy Watt said when officers got to the scene, a man confronted them on the front porch, was uncooperative, then suddenly ran into the home, slamming the door behind him.

“As officers moved quickly to the door to attempt to follow the suspect, he began firing through the door. The Ogden officer was struck by a fatal round and was dragged from the scene by other officers,” Chief Watt said.  

He was later pronounced dead at McKay Dee Hospital.

Chief Watt says officers, who were assisted by other agencies, returned fire. 

An adult probation parole officer was also struck by gunfire. He has been treated at the hospital and is recovering.

The Ogden Metro SWAT team were able to safely rescue some children inside the house, and it was the SWAT team that determined the suspect had died inside the home.

The names of the officers have not yet been released. 

 

Neighbors say they’re stunned

People living near the shooting scene admit their nerves are still frayed over what they saw and heard.  One man, who wants to stay anonymous, says his children were playing in the front lawn when the gunfire started.  He says his kids clearly saw what they thought was one of the injured officers being dragged away from the scene.  They ran into the house, terrified.

He says, “They’re traumatized.  We’re still figuring it out.  My wife has got them, and I’m trying to make sure everyone else is OK.”

Others like Trevor Jennings were with their family in nearby Boneville Park when it happened.  He says he panicked after hearing the shots and did what he could to protect his family, not knowing where the bullets were coming from.

“Me, my wife and my kids were in that open grassy area and we heard about 20 gunshots go off.  I pushed my kids over and jumped on top of them,” Jennings says.

Resident Emily Cruz lives next to where police placed the caution tape on the north side of Jackson Avenue.  She grew up in this neighborhood, and she has never seen anything like this before.

“It’s pretty nerve-wracking when you see all these cops doing their job, getting guns and getting protection… and all these SWAT people and them just immediately saying, ‘Go inside!’” she says.  “This is just really scary for a lot of people.”