West Jordan Neighbors Amazed At How Quickly Officer-Involved Shooting Escalated

WEST JORDAN, Utah – A gun battle erupted in the front yards of a quiet West Jordan neighborhood with children at play Sunday night. Now, there are many questions about that officer-involved shooting, which left one man dead and a police officer injured at 2350 West 7680 South.

That shooting will be investigated by officers from other departments, and they won’t be able to share a lot of details until the investigation is complete. West Jordan police plan to release the name of the man shot and killed once they have identified him and notified his family.

Officials said the injured officer was doing well and recovering.

“You could tell that tensions were escalated,” said Mike Doom, who was with his wife when they noticed flashing police lights in front of their home. “There was a black truck right here, and two police cars had him hemmed in.”

His wife started shooting video.

The truck was stolen, and officers were talking with people in the car.

“The people in the truck did not want to get out,” said Sgt. J.C. Holt with the West Jordan Police Department.

That’s when the gunfire started.

“It just exploded,” said Doom. “You heard ‘pop pop pop pop pop pop pop.’”

From his window, Doom saw someone run from the car.

“One kid ran right over here,” he said pointing to an area in his front yard. “He was shot once, and then he made it up my hill and they put him down.”

It was a harrowing thing to see, he said. Two witnesses tell us the suspect shot first. Police have not confirmed that.

“The rapid ‘pop pop pop pop,’ 15 to 20 shots, like just so fast, said Doom. “It was amazing how it escalated.”

Doom was also amazed that none of the bullets did more damage to people or property. Police confirmed shots were exchanged between at least two police officers and the man from the truck, who was killed.

“It could have been so much worse and it wasn’t,” said Doom. “So, thank goodness for them.”

He thought police handled the situation well.

“What they did, from my untrained viewpoint, was absolutely perfect,” he said.

“It was a very scary situation for sure for the officers, for the people of the neighborhood, everybody involved,” said Holt.

The officer was struck in the shoulder, above his bulletproof vest. Police said he’s recovering well.

Several other people from the truck were also arrested, but police have not released any information on those charges yet.