A chaotic scene unfolded late Sunday night when a 44-year-old man reportedly fired multiple shots at a tow truck driver and later exchanged gunfire with Salt Lake City police officers, leading to the closure of a section of I-80; according to ABC4, the incident occurred around 10:45 p.m. near North Redwood Road and West North Temple. The suspect reportedly shot at the tow truck driver "multiple times" before fleeing the scene, and as he drove away, he continued his assault on police officers who had responded to the alarm.
The confrontation escalated to the point where the suspect was chased down, shot by police, sustaining at least one critical injury, detailed by KSL TV, that resulted in his subsequent hospitalization. Following these harrowing events, eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 between 5600 West and Redwood Road were closed well into Monday morning, with no clear timetable initially provided for when the major thoroughfare would be reopened to traffic, creating sizable disruptions during the morning commute.
The thoroughfare's closure spanned a significant portion of the highway with I-80 shut down between Bangerter Highway and I-215, and although Bangerter Highway from California Avenue to I-80 was reopened early morning, the interstate remained closed through rush hour, causing major traffic delays. In the wake of the shooting, the Utah Highway Patrol joined forces with local authorities as part of the incident response, and an Officer-Involved Critical Incident protocol was initiated. KUTV reported that the West Jordan Police Department is leading the investigation into the events, with two SLCPD sergeants involved in the shooting being placed on administrative leave as part of standard procedure.
