Suspect arrested as shelter-in-place lifted in Spanish Fork
Jan 3, 2026, 1:21 PM | Updated: Jan 4, 2026, 5:25 pm
FILE - A Spanish Fork Police Department patrol car. (Spanish Fork Police Department)
(Spanish Fork Police Department)
SPANISH FORK — A shelter-in-place order was issued for a Spanish Fork neighborhood on Saturday. A large number of police personnel were seen in the area.
The order was issued for the area around 800 South and 1520 East, although an exact radius was not issued.
The city of Spanish Fork announced the shelter-in-place was lifted shortly after it was issued. The city said a suspect was in custody.
That suspect was later revealed to be Allan Searl, 58.
According to Spanish Fork Police, a woman called 911 and accused her husband of hurting her after a physical fight. The woman was able to flee from her home and allegedly told officials her husband had been drinking.
Police said they saw Searl holding a rifle outside of a window of the home before claiming to hear gunshots.
The Utah County Metro SWAT team arrived and attempted to negotiate with Searl, but he allegedly fired at the police officers. Police officers then reportedly fired back at him.
The SWAT negotiators were eventually able to convince Searl to leave the house, where he was detained.
Police reported the man was taken to the hospital with minor injuries for evaluation. Searl was then booked into the Utah County Jail and is now facing charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.
This story will be updated.
