Wanted gang member shot, hospitalized after fleeing US Marshals in Sugar House
Nov 4, 2024, 5:59 PM | Updated: Nov 5, 2024, 2:05 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A person was shot by U.S. Marshals and taken to a hospital Monday after he attempted to flee from law enforcement officers. According to preliminary information, the Marshals were acting as part of a fugitive task force.
The man was identified as Daniel Lynn Meinhart, 42. According to Salt Lake City police, Mainhart is a known white supremacist gang member. He had multiple warrants out for his arrest and had a “long and violent” felony history including possession of a dangerous weapon and attempted murder.
There was a heavy police presence in the area of 2100 South and Lincoln Street, in the Sugar House neighborhood near a Smith’s grocery store and Burt Brothers tire shop. Meinhart was taken to a hospital under law enforcement guard. He had non-life-threatening injuries, U.S. Marshals said.
The Marshals issued a statement stating at approximately 4:22 p.m., Marshals requested Salt Lake City Police Department officers to respond to the scene.
SLCPD said there was no threat to the community and said the federal agency was involved in the shooting, but not Salt Lake police. No other injuries were reported.
“Out of nowhere”
Francisco Rodriguez is the manager of the Burt Brothers, and he told KSL TV that he’s never seen anything like the events that unfolded Monday afternoon.
“Out of nowhere, five or six unmarked police cars came and chased him out of our parking lot, down the street,” Rodriguez said.
He said it all started when Meinhart, the ex-husband of one of his employees, showed up and refused to leave.
Past court documents show a protective order was filed against Meinhart that he had allegedly violated in October. After a separate incident in June, he is facing charges of possessing a dangerous weapon while on probation, failing to stop at the command of law enforcement and retail theft.
“Deadly force”
U.S. Marshals said they were assisting the state of Utah with a parole fugitive when the man tried to drive away. He crashed his car into a light pole just yards down the street.
“They stopped him at the end of the road, and then the smoke bombs went off,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriquez believed it was at that moment, the man crashed his car, that officers surrounded him.
“There were a couple bombs went off and a whole bunch of smoke, you couldn’t see anything and then just out of nowhere, you just see, I could maybe 25 officers,” Rodriguez said. “It was pretty intense.”
It’s a night he’ll never forget.
“Officers attempted to get Meinhart to comply and surrender by using all reasonable means available to them,” SLCPD said. “However, because of Meinhart’s actions, officers were forced to use deadly force. Meainhart was struck multiple times by gunfire.”
SLCPD is investigating the shooting as an officer-involved critical incident. Per protocol, one officer was placed on paid administrative leave.
