Man shot by West Valley police shot at armored vehicle, police say
Dec 15, 2025, 11:06 AM | Updated: Jan 6, 2026, 2:19 pm
West Valley City Police on the scene where a suspect barricaded themselves inside a home. (Mark Less, KSL)
(Mark Less, KSL)
WEST VALLEY CITY — New court documents Tuesday said a man fired at an armored vehicle before he was shot by West Valley police. The shooting ensued after a standoff on Monday that allegedly started when the man pointed a gun at another driver.
Steven Allen Whites, 42, was arrested for investigation of two counts of assault on an officer, two counts of aggravated assault, and failing to stop at a car accident. He remained in a local hospital in serious condition on Tuesday.
On Monday, just after 8 a.m., a woman called West Valley police saying she was involved in a minor traffic collision with another vehicle near 3450 W. 3500 South. But when the woman approached the other driver to exchange information, he pointed a gun at her, according to police.
The woman gave police the license plate number of the other vehicle, which came back to Whites’ residence at 3667 S. Oxford Way.
“When (police) came up to the residence, they noticed a bullet hole in the above middle window and also a bullet casing on the front porch area of the residence. Officers began to give Mr. Whites commands to exit the residence, and after a several commands, Mr. Whites came outside the residence,” according to a police booking affidavit.
One officer ordered Whites at gunpoint to show his hands, the affidavit states.
“Mr. Whites showed one hand from his hooded sweater, and that’s when (the officer) noticed the butt of a handgun inside the sweater’s pocket. Mr. Whites then fled into his residence and barricaded himself inside,” according to the affidavit.
A SWAT team was called to the residence just after 9:30 a.m. The ensuing standoff prompted several schools in the area to take precautionary safety measures.
A couple of hours into the standoff, the SWAT team brought in an armored police vehicle in an attempt to breach the front door.
“Multiple SWAT officers were inside the armored vehicle as they positioned themselves in the front yard of the residence,” police stated in their affidavit.
Police say they ordered Whites several times to surrender.
“However, Mr. Whites refused to come out and surrender peacefully. Based on interviews with both officers sitting in the front (of the vehicle) and physical evidence at the scene, Mr. Whites shot two rounds through the front door from a 12-gauge shotgun, impacting the armored police vehicle,” according to the affidavit.
Police say the shots were fired just before 11:30 a.m. The affidavit does not mention anything about police returning fire. On Monday, West Valley police stated that one officer fired at least one shot.
A police spokeswoman on Tuesday said Whites remained in the hospital, and the affidavit was filed to hold him when he is released. He was shot after opening fire on the armored vehicle by an officer outside the vehicle, according to police.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated.
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