SWAT Protects Residents From Man Who Opened Fire On Taylorsville Neighborhood

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Taylorsville neighborhood looked like a war zone after a man barricaded himself inside his home and fired dozens of rounds at officers during an hourslong SWAT standoff. Luckily no one was injured, including the suspect.

As the SWAT team moved in on April 17, their BearCat took the brunt of the force, but they didn’t have to fire one round of ammo to arrest the man.

“So, this weighs approximately 160 pounds,” said Sgt. Dan Child with the Unified Police Department, pointing at the window.

UPD’s SWAT BearCat can handle some serious firepower.

“This is .50-caliber rated, so the round is 5-6 inches tall,” said Child. “It takes a lot to crack a windshield or even penetrate that.”

It was put to the test after 43-year-old Ben Williams assaulted his parents.

“Now, this is compromised, so if he starts shooting at us again, who knows,” said Child.

Williams’ parents managed to get away, but things didn’t end there. He barricaded himself inside his parents’ home and opened fire on officers.

“As soon as he started shooting at us, we started deploying gas into the house,” said Child.

Terrified families sheltered in their basements.

Norma Hidalgo, whose family lives across the street, said negotiators made several attempts to talk with Williams, but he responded with more gunfire, shooting 30-40 rounds during the six-hour stand-off.

“He responded with bullets,” said Hidalgo.

The SWAT team never fired back, opting instead for patience and resourcefulness in arresting Williams.

#EXCLUSIVE: A Taylorsville neighborhood looks like a war zone. On Sat. a man barricaded himself in his parents' home & opened fire. For 5-6 hours, families took shelter in their basements. How the @UPDSL SWAT time arrested the man w/out firing 1 shot (ammo).Tonight at 10 @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/PHY8G3DiJL

— Garna Mejia (@GarnaMejiaKSL) April 22, 2021

After six hours passed by, SWAT team members moved in to arrest Williams. Child said they deployed several rounds of tear gas throughout the course of the situation. In the end, they used the BearCat to plow through the front yard fence and break down the front door, allowing them to swiftly disarm Williams.

“We’re not here to hurt people,” said Child. “We were there to arrest somebody.”

Like the BearCat, the neighborhood still bears the scar of Williams’ actions, but Child said it can all be repaired.

“We’re here to save lives,” he said. “This piece of equipment is here to save lives.”

No word on the cost of damages to the homes or vehicles in the neighborhood, but UPD officials said it is going to cost about $2,700 just to replace the BearCat’s windshield.