Police officer fatally shoots knife-wielding man in Draper
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An off-duty West Valley City police officer shot and killed a man who pulled a knife on officers trying to arrest him on suspicion of drug possession Wednesday, authorities said.
Detective Jason Vincent spotted the man slumped over in a car while driving to work from his home in Draper, Deputy Chief John Eining said.
Vincent stopped his car and called for backup. Two Draper officers and another off-duty West Valley officer responded and found narcotics, Eining said.
The police were trying to arrest the man on suspicion of drug possession when he went back to the car and pulled a kitchen knife, Eining said.
Vincent fired his gun, killing the man, Eining said. The officer suffered minor cuts in the scuffle. Vincent was not wearing a body camera, but a Draper officer was wearing one and investigators are reviewing the footage.
Eining said Vincent had to act quickly because the officers were so close to the man when he pulled out the knife and wasn't able to tell the man to drop the weapon.
The name of the victim was not immediately released, but police say he didn't live in the area.
Vincent shot another man who pulled a knife on him in late 2013, said West Valley Police Chief Lee Russo. In that case, prosecutors said a 24-year-old man refused to drop a knife after threatening the officer with the weapon.
The suspect in that case, Oston Shiloh Fairbourn, was later convicted of attempted aggravated murder.
Russo said Vincent, a 12-year veteran of the department, was upset by the Wednesday shooting. He said that the two shootings are unfortunate, but Vincent doesn't have a history of citizen complaints or a record of using unnecessary force.
"I would say this is really a model officer, he is somebody that is compassionate about what he does," Russo said.
Russo said he's purchased body cameras for the department and wants to start equipping officers next month.
Two other men died after being shot by police in Utah last week. James Dudley Barker, 42, was shot and killed after he hit an officer with a snow shovel, and 49-year-old Thomas Hamby died after he fired at officers responding to a call from his girlfriend.