Cottonwood Heights PD name suspect shot by officer

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah – Cottonwood Heights Police Department has identified the armed robbery suspect shot by one of their officers Tuesday in the residential area of 6600 S 2200 E.

19-year-old Zane James is accused of showing a weapon and taking cash from two cashiers at Sandy grocery stores early Tuesday morning, a Macey’s and a Smith’s.

Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Ryan Shosted says one of their officers spotted the suspect while he was heading to work. “They put out a description of the suspect and the vehicle was one which was kind of unique, it was a motorcycle. One of the officers who was just coming in, who was still off duty, basically saw the suspect,” said Sgt. Shosted

Police say the suspect fled and a chase began. “(The officer) basically caught up with the suspect and at that point, there were shots fired by the officer,” said Sgt. Shosted, who would not go into the specifics of what happened. Neighbors recount hearing 4 gunshots.

We’re told James is in fair condition. He was taken to the hospital, after Sgt. Shosted says the officer performed life-saving measures on him.

James has a long criminal history. According to court documents, there is a warrant out for his arrest after he didn’t show up to court Friday.

Salt Lake City’s Police Department has now taken over the investigation since it is an officer-involved shooting. The Cottonwood Heights police officer is on routine administrative leave, as is procedure during these investigations. Sgt. Shosted says the officer did not have his body camera on him as he was headed to the police station to get geared up for the day.

Representatives from both Sandy stores say their cashiers were not hurt. “Our team did everything they were trained to do in this situation. They handled it perfectly,” said Rachael Wabel, a spokesperson for Macey’s. Full statement from her, and a Smith’s representative are below:

“We can confirm that Macey’s Sandy was involved in a robbery this morning. Our store team responded to the situation exactly how they were trained and we appreciate their actions. We are working with the Salt Lake City, Cottonwood Heights, and Sandy City police departments as they complete their investigation of the incident. We are working with our teams to implement additional ways to ensure our guests feel comfortable and safe each time they shop with us.”

“Very early this morning our store located on 2039 East and 9400 South in Sandy was robbed by a single individual. Fortunately, no one was hurt and we are offering counseling to the associate approached by the perpetrator. We are working diligently with the Sandy Police Department during this active investigation, who has obtained the surveillance footage,” Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s Corporate Affairs Manager said.