1 man dead following hours-long SWAT standoff near elementary school
Oct 28, 2022, 3:07 PM | Updated: 3:30 pm
MIDVALE, Utah – The report of an armed and intoxicated man sitting in a car in Midvale Thursday night ended with a police chase and the man found dead inside a home Friday morning.
Melody Cutler with the Unified Police Department said Midvale dispatch received the call just before 10 p.m. Thursday.
The man was reportedly armed and suicidal inside the car, Cutler said.
When officers found the vehicle, Cutler said the vehicle rammed one of their police cars and drove away.
Police chased the car and Cutler said she believes the man shot at officers. The driver evaded police, and at approximately 2 a.m. Friday, officers found the vehicle, but the driver was gone.
Officers learned the man was home with his grandmother and father near Princeton and Monroe Street. Cutler said the grandmother and father were able to get out of the home.
The suspect refused to come out of the home.
“That’s when the SWAT team was notified and SWAT and the negotiations team responded to the scene,” Cutler said.
“We did so via various means — trying to open up those lines of communication with him, trying to convince him to just surrender himself. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way,” she added.
As the stand off continued, the Canyons School District notified parents that nearby Copperview Elementary School would not attend classes in person on Friday due to the ongoing police presence near the school.
“At the request of police, and for the safety of the school community, Copperview will have a remote-learning day today,” read a tweet from the Canyons School District.
Officials with the Canyons School District say bc of ongoing police presence at the school, classes will be held remotely today.@KSL5T
Seeing K9 vehicle as well. pic.twitter.com/FQgHpTIRCh
— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) October 28, 2022
At one point, a relative tried to break through the containment area to try and get into the house. Police stopped the person.
Cutler said officers later found the man dead inside the home from self-inflicted wounds.
No one else was inside at the time.
Cutler said one else was hurt.
