Fatal officer-involved shooting in Kearns
Aug 4, 2020, 6:10 AM | Updated: 8:53 am
Police have confirmed an officer involved shooting happened around 5 am Tuesday morning Photo: Derek Peterson KSLTV
KEARNS, Utah — Police have confirmed that a man is dead following an officer-involved shooting that took place in Kearns shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Officer-involved shooting in the early hours
Unified Police say that the shooting happened near 5400 South and 5400 West after a man pulled a gun on an officer during a pursuit and was shot by an officer.
Police say the man was in his 30s.
All eastbound and westbound lanes of 5400 South and 5400 West are currently closed as a response team investigates.
A few more details after speaking with @UPDSL: One man is dead after fleeing on foot and pointing a gun at an officer. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unknown. The officer involved is uninjured. Expect this stretch of roadway to remain closed for a while.
— John Wojcik (@JWojcikKSL) August 4, 2020
Man in his 30’s was shot and killed during a routine check after police say he pulled a gun out rather than complying. Details on @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/SZ6tKecB9W
— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaKSL) August 4, 2020
This area in Kearns could be blocked for several hours. Expect delays. https://t.co/NAJOxZld1P
— KSL Traffic Center (@KSLTraffic) August 4, 2020
Update from the sheriff
While many of the details surrounding the incident won’t be known for a few days, Unified Police Sheriff Rosie Rivera did confirm that it started with a routine welfare check. Specifically, she says an officer checked-in with a man walking around the area early in the morning.
“That’s what we expect of our officers,” she explains. “Early morning hours, late at night, if individuals are walking in the area we ask them to do proactive patrols.”
NEW: @UPDSL Sheriff Rosie Rivera just gave us an update on the officer-involved shooting investigation in Kearns. pic.twitter.com/1fr9DMW9hQ
— John Wojcik (@JWojcikKSL) August 4, 2020
She says they engage in proactive patrolling overnight specifically because of instances like this.
“Somebody walking around in the dark with a firearm,” she says. “I’m glad our officer is well-trained. He could have lost his life.”
