Suspect Injured In Officer-Involved Shooting In Ogden

OGDEN, Utah – A suspect was injured in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning in Ogden.

The incident happened in the area of 31st Street and Wall Avenue at approximately 7:30 a.m.

Ogden Police Deputy Chief Eric Young said a customer was dropping off a vehicle at a repair shop and noticed the front glass was broken out of the shop’s front door. The customer called 911 to report it.

An officer responded several minutes later. She encountered a man who was “concealing himself” inside the business. The suspect refused to follow commands, so the officer began to exit the building.

“The suspect attacked the officer with an item in his hands,” Young said. “The officer fired two shots, striking the suspect.”

He didn’t specify what the suspect used to allegedly attack the officer.

The officer then immediately requested medical assistance and began emergency life-saving measures.

The man was transported to the hospital and is in stable condition. He’s expected to recover.

 

 

Young said police were able to identify the suspect through previous arrest records. It’s believed the man is homeless.

Officials have not yet released his name, but the man is described as a male in his 30s.

Young said the Weber County Attorney’s Office will conduct an independent criminal investigation into the incident. OPD will conduct its own internal investigation.

“The officer was wearing a body camera, and the incident was captured in its entirety,” Young said.

The video is now evidence in the Weber County Attorney’s investigation, and it will be released to the public at a later date.

“I want to thank the officers of the Ogden City Police Department for the professional way they protect the citizens of Ogden every day,” Young said. “I believe the actions of our officers averted what could be a tragic situation for our officer, or one of the employees of this business this morning.”

He noted that he believes the suspect was not intending to steal money or equipment. He alluded to the possibility that the man was behaving under the influence of drugs or because he was suffering from a mental condition.

Young said there were items inside the business that were being “accessed” by the suspect and “placed in a location by the individual that had nothing to do with what I believe was a theft or a robbery.”

He didn’t elaborate on what those items were or where they were being placed, but he did make a statement about focusing on mental health and substance abuse issues.

“Unaddressed mental health concerns and drug addiction have consequences in our society. Individuals who are unstable due to addiction and mental health illness are dangerous to you and to those who protect you,” Young said. “There must be a greater effort on the part of society as a whole to mitigate this growing illness in our population – specifically our growing homeless population.”

“If we want to reduce violence in our communities and reduce the number of life-threatening situations for our police officers and first responders to deal with in our community, it’s something we’ve got to get on top of as a society,” he added.