This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After he was shot in the back and rear end earlier this year, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper has returned to duty with a promotion.
Earlier this month, Paul Kotter was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant and commander of the DUI squad, the highway patrol announced Sunday. Kotter had been shot three times on Aug. 28 while he was providing security at a Layton highway construction zone.
Drew Moyer, 21, drove his car into the repaving work zone on Highway 193 near its intersection with Hill Field Road and allegedly opened fire on Kotter.
Kotter was shot three times — two bullets struck him in the back, and a third hit his buttocks.
"Kotter was wearing a bullet resistant vest that most likely saved his life," the UHP said in a news release. Kotter returned fire before dropping to the ground.
Moyer sped away through the construction area with another officer in pursuit, and then crashed into the back of a water truck. He was found dead in his car by troopers, and a medical examiner later determined that Moyer had shot and killed himself.
Twitter: @MikeyPanda