Bluffdale officers justified in shooting armed man, report concludes

BLUFFDALE — Two Bluffdale police officers were legally justified in shooting a man armed with a gun during a confrontation that started as a call for medical assistance, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

But despite officers firing 17 times, an autopsy determined that Kendall Thomas, 44, died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Related: One dead after officer-involved shooting in Bluffdale

Until Friday, very little information had been released about the shooting incident. On Jan. 24, Bluffdale fire and police crews responded to an undisclosed “medical call” about 8:30 a.m. at 14941 S. Castle Valley Drive (3250 West).

According to District Attorney Sim Gill’s final report, Thomas had suffered a seizure and locked himself inside his basement room. Thomas’ mother, who called emergency crews, told police officers and firefighters that she could not pick the lock to Thomas’ room. She also warned “that he gets combative and doesn’t know what’s happening when he’s had a seizure, and that he hadn’t been talking to her since the seizure” and refused to open the door, the report states. “(She) explained that it was an alcohol-induced seizure.”

Five paramedics plus three Bluffdale police officers responded to the house.

“One of the medics asked (the mother) if (Thomas) had any weapons in there, to which she responded, ‘Not that I know of,’ and then explained that he gets combative with anyone but her, with men especially, and that they’ll frighten him,” according to the report.

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