West Valley man uses shotgun to defend home from alleged robbery

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Police in West Valley City say a homeowner fought off a knife-wielding attacker overnight with the help of his shotgun. According to police, the suspect was reportedly going around to cars and homes in a neighborhood to see if anything was unlocked.

Shotgun never fired, but helps stop attempted robbery

The incident happened late Thursday in the area of 3200 South and 3600 West at around 11:40 p.m. Shortly after, cops received a call about a fight. Upon arrival, they discovered a man with a bloody head lying in the street and another man standing nearby with a shotgun in his hand.

Why police say it is important to lock your doors. Man reportedly attempting to break into homes off 3600 West in West Valley gets hit in the face with a shotgun. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/jWyjJXmADD

— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaKSL) November 6, 2020

An initial investigation leads officers to believe the man on the ground was a burglar, who was attempting to break in the home of the man with the gun. Lieutenant Bill Merritt, with the West Valley City Police Department, says the burglar reportedly charged at the homeowner with a knife.

“He had a shotgun with him, not the suspect, but the homeowner did,” explains Merritt. “It sounds like the suspect may have at one point charged the homeowner, with a knife in his hand, and the homeowner took the shotgun and struck him in the face with it.”

A bad headache, but nothing else

With weapons reportedly involved on both sides of the incident, officers are relieved that no serious injuries are being reported.

“The shotgun was never fired, but he did hit the suspect in the face and the suspect is bleeding pretty good,” he explains. “He’s going to be fine. He’s on his way to the hospital to get treated before he heads down to jail.”