Family speaks out after brother died in South Jordan police shooting
Jun 15, 2024, 2:43 PM | Updated: Jun 16, 2024, 6:01 pm
A South Jordan police vehicle is pictured in South Jordan. A person was shot by police, and later died, after threatening them with a knife Saturday afternoon. (Griffin/Deseret News)
(Griffin/Deseret News)
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — Police shot a person, who later died, on Saturday, after they said that person threatened them with a knife Saturday afternoon.
The South Jordan Police Department said someone called them Saturday to report seeing someone peeking in car windows Saturday. They soon located a person matching that description at Skye Park, near 9800 South and 4800 West in South Jordan.
Police did not identify the person or offer other descriptive details such as gender. The family of the suspect later said in a statement sent to KSL that the suspect was their brother.
According to South Jordan police, when they arrived at the park, the person displayed a knife. In a news release, police said they first tried to deescalate the situation using less lethal methods, but did not specify which ones.
“After multiple attempts to gain compliance were ineffective, the subject advanced on officers with the knife and was shot,” according to the news release.
Police say they took the person into custody and to a hospital for treatment, but they died.
SJPD say an officer-involved critical incident team will handle the investigation from here. The officers involved were put on leave, a common practice any time deadly force is used.
Parts of Skye Park and Skye Drive were closed while police investigated the scene on Saturday.
Statement from the family
“Our family woke up June 15th to the devastating news that our brother had been shot and killed by the South Jordan police,” Bryan Gutierrez, the older brother of the person who died in the shooting, said in a statement sent to KSL.
“No parent or sibling should have to endure this type of situation. We are grieving the loss of our beloved brother; our brother was facing challenging mental health issues. At this time, we are asking for privacy while we grieve and wait for information to understand exactly what happened so we can begin healing.”
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