Suspect killed, 2 officers wounded in Taylorsville parking-lot shootout

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Two officers were wounded and a police suspect killed in a shootout at a 7-Eleven parking lot in Taylorsville Wednesday night.

Police said the suspect, 20-year-old Anei Joker, was taken to a hospital and died from his wounds.

West Valley Police Chief Colleen Jacobs said one of her officers who has been with the department for six years, took two rounds. “He was shot in the left shoulder and in the left leg.” 

The officer needed surgery but was in good spirits as he recovered at the hospital.  Jacobs said he is going to be ok.  

The other injured officer, from the Unified Police Department, was already released from the hospital and was recovering at home. 

West Valley Police Chief Colleen Jacobs said there was an operation involving several police agencies Wednesday night to find 20-year-old Anei Joker.

“The suspect, in this case, was wanted party for various violent felonies,” Jacobs said.

Joker was wanted in connection with a robbery and a rape case.

Police tracked him down to the 7-Eleven on 4100 South Redwood Road in Taylorsville.

He was inside an SUV with a 9-month-old child and other adults.

Chief Jacobs said negotiations for Joker’s surrender took place for a period of time.

Joker eventually agreed to allow the officers to get the baby from the vehicle but refused to get out of the car. The others inside the SUV also eventually left leaving Joker by himself.

Police continued to negotiate with him but he remained inside. Jacobs said officers fired pepper balls at Joker.

“After a period of time, he did come out of the vehicle firing a weapon,” Jacobs said.

Now, the investigation into the officer-involved shooting moves forward – but it’s a little tricky.

“The problem is that for the most part someone from each of these protocol teams was involved in this incident,” Jacobs explained.

Officers involved in the shooting and those who witnessed it were separated and taken from the scene for debriefing while the organization of the investigation was determined. Any police agency that had an officer involved in the shooting will be disqualified from investigating the confrontation by police protocol.

Chief Jacobs was grateful the officers are going to be ok and that they took such a big risk to get the child out of the car safely.

DEBBIE WORTHEN’S EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT

KSL’s Debbie Worthen arrived on scene just before gunshots started. She gave a second-by-second description as events unfolded.

“When we got on scene things were really tense. You could tell that it was a big story, that something big was happening. And then in that 7-11 parking area I started seeing guns drawn, so we knew there was a car there and a suspect in the car in that parking area and then all of a sudden it was like something is happening, there is a shootout happening right now.”

“So Jay, my photographer, said before this happened if anything starts going down – we’re on this retaining wall so jump down. It’s about four feet. So all of a sudden they start closer to us and it’s kind of like a little scuffle and Jay’s like ‘get down, get down!'”

“So we all get down and while that’s happening we’re hearing just this massive exchange of gunfire we peak up and it’s like get down and we can see them dragging someone,we have no idea who that is at this point. We can hear it, its so loud we can almost smell it and we’re about 30 feet away.”

“So really in all of my years reporting I have never been that close to something that’s felt that dangerous – like someone watching could die right now.”

ANEI JOKER’S HISTORY

Court records showed Joker had an extensive criminal record. He was also known as Ramon Julima.  

He was convicted of aggravated robbery in June and received a suspended prison sentence, with credit for time served, and three years’ probation. 

That plea and sentencing was part of a deal involving four other cases, one of which was an attempted shooting where Joker was accused of shooting at a gang member. He claimed it was self-defense.

Anei Joker (KSL TV)

In a letter to the judge before that sentencing, Joker said he was sorry for his actions and that he learned his lesson, he asked the judge to give him probation so he could take care of his kids. 

In 2019 Joker was also arrested in connection with a shooting in West Valley City. Court documents state he was charged with fleeing from police.  After police stopped the vehicle, they found a man who had been shot inside the car. 

West Valley City police requested via Twitter that anyone who witnessed the shooting but didn’t stay to talk to investigators, contact police at 801-840-4000.

URGENT: anyone who witnessed the officer involved critical incident which occurred 12/1/21 at the 7-11 on 4100 S Redwood Rd, and did not stay on scene to provide information to investigators, we ask you to please contact police at 801-840-4000. Thank you!

— WVC Police (@WVCPD) December 2, 2021