Man Dead After Officer-Involved Shooting In Riverton
Oct 22, 2018, 1:28 PM | Updated: Sep 27, 2019, 5:17 pm
RIVERTON, Utah – Police shot a man armed with a knife Monday after responding to a 911 call of a domestic dispute. It’s the sixth officer-involved shooting in Utah in recent weeks.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said officers with the Unified Police Department arrived at a home in Riverton. It was there they found the man, identified as 26-year-old Jason Robert Whittle, with a knife held against a woman’s throat.
The man reportedly refused to comply with orders, and when he didn’t put the weapon down, officers took action.
“When they responded they did find a male holding a female by the neck with a knife to her neck,” Rivera said. “They took some action, shots were fired and we do know the male is deceased.”
It was unclear Monday afternoon how many shots were fired and if officers were wearing body cameras.
Rivera said the woman, who lives in the home, is OK.
The man, who reportedly did not live at the house, was related to the woman, although officials haven’t released their exact relationship.
A neighbor, who asked not to be named, told KSL 5 TV that two families live inside the home, one on the top level and a single mother on the bottom level. The single mother also has an adult son who lives elsewhere.
The neighbor also said Monday’s incident is not the first time police have been called to the home, but she’s shocked it went to this level.
“The families that live in that home just are very, very sweet and kind people,” the neighbor said. “It’s sad to see this happen.”
The Salt Lake Police Department is investigating the shooting.