A man died Wednesday after a police chase that began in Pleasant Grove ended in a rollover crash and gunfire on State Route 179 near Erda, with six officers from four agencies opening fire moments after the vehicle came to rest. A bystander who watched much of it unfold described hearing gunshots, then a pause, then more shots — though he said he could not tell who fired first.
According to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office, Pleasant Grove police officers pursued a fugitive parolee through Salt Lake and Tooele counties before the suspect exited Interstate 80 at exit 94 and continued onto State Route 179, per the sheriff's office. As reported by ABC4, Pleasant Grove officers requested agency assistance around 1:45 p.m. as they followed the vehicle into Tooele County, and Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Tooele County Sheriff's deputies responded to help attempt a traffic stop. Tooele City police officers also responded to assist.
Austin Larson, a witness near Sheep Lane, told KUTV he watched a truck pulling a camper flee from police, lose control and crash into a fence. The suspect, who has not been identified, failed to yield and continued onward, leading to a short pursuit, according to ABC4. Officials say the suspect then veered into oncoming traffic and sideswiped a semitruck, causing the vehicle to roll, coming to rest in a ditch near Sheep Lane with its trailer.
Witness Describes Gunfire, Pause, Then More Shots
Larson said he saw the driver get out and raise an arm as if about to shoot, though he told KUTV he could not confirm who fired first. He also said the driver's body language seemed aggressive toward police. Larson described hearing gunfire followed by a brief silence and then more gunshots, according to the outlet's report.
Moments after the rollover, multiple officers from multiple agencies fired at the suspect, per ABC4. Six officers from four agencies fired on the man after his pickup truck rolled over, according to Gephardt Daily. The man being pursued died at the scene, and his family was being notified, the same outlet reported. Police deployed a drone to observe the suspect and cleared bystanders from the area during the incident.
Officer Injured, Driver Not Hurt
A Utah Highway Patrol officer suffered a minor laceration to his hand, which was treated at the scene, per ABC4's report. The semitruck driver was not injured in the incident and is cooperating with investigators. No one else was in the suspect's vehicle besides the suspect himself.
Officials have not released the suspect's identity, pending notification of family, KSL reported. They also have not said what Pleasant Grove officers were pursuing him for, whether the vehicle had been reported stolen, or whether he was armed or fired any shots himself. KSL reported that officials did not say what exactly prompted officers to fire their weapons.
Investigation and Administrative Leave
The six officers who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave, which ABC4 notes is standard protocol following such incidents. The Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Team is now investigating the shooting, according to ABC4's report.
Under Utah law, incidents like this one fall under what the state defines as Officer-Involved Critical Incidents — a category that, per the Utah State Bureau of Investigation, encompasses police shootings, vehicular stops by officers leading to death or serious injury, and certain jail deaths. The case adds to a long record of such incidents statewide; the Salt Lake Tribune has compiled a database tracking 87 fatal shootings by law enforcement across Utah since 2005.
