Early on Thursday morning, a Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) officer was involved in a shooting incident during a traffic stop near 375 South 765 West. Following standard procedure under state law, the SLCPD has invoked the Officer Involved Critical Incident (OICI) protocol, requiring an outside agency to investigate the shooting, as reported by the SLCPD.
At 1:41 a.m. the officer, whose name has not yet been released, conducted a traffic stop. The situation escalated when a 32-year-old man, reported to not be involved with the traffic stop, approached the scene with a weapon. What followed was the officer having to quickly decide to use their firearm, shooting the man, as mentioned by Police Chief Mike Brown who expressed his full support for the officer's actions during the tense episode. No police personnel were injured during the encounter.
The individual shot by the officer was transported to the hospital in critical condition. According to the SLCPD, the driver involved in the original traffic stop has not been considered a suspect in the OICI. As of now, there have been no other reported injuries stemming from the incident.
As is often the case in such critical incidents, the initial information is subject to alteration as the investigation unfolds. "Our police officers are highly trained," Chief Mike Brown said, as per SLCPD. "Whenever there is a threat to our community or our officers, I have absolute confidence in their ability to act with speed and courage to eliminate the danger and protect everyone."
