Police are still searching for a man who fled Saturday morning after allegedly firing at an officer and shooting a man whose Riverton home he’d just broken into.
As they searched for the man — later identified as 33-year-old Justin Gary Llewelyn — officers asked those residing in Herriman and Riverton, between Mountain View Corridor and Rose Crest Road and Blackride Reservoir and 13400 South to stay inside. Later in the afternoon, they downsized the search area to homes between Lewiston Peak Drive and Elk Horn Peak Drive and Shaggy Peak Drive and West 14175 South.
Police lifted the shelter in place order about 4:45 p.m.
Police first came into contact with Llewelyn at 6 a.m. at the Monarch Meadows Apartments complex at 13469 Dragonfly Lane in Riverton, UPD spokesman Lt. Brian Lohrke said.
Lohrke said a sergeant in the area saw Llewelyn, who appeared suspicious, and got out to talk to him. Llewelyn fled on foot, and the officer chased after him, calling the situation into dispatch.
Another officer was pulling into the complex as Llewelyn was running by, prompting Llewelyn to shoot at the officer, Lohrke said. The officer returned fire, but it is unclear whether Llewelyn was hit. The officer was not.
Llewelyn then broke into a nearby home. When the homeowner came downstairs to investigate, Llewelyn allegedly shot him, Lohrke said. The homeowner’s condition was upgraded from serious to good about 1:30 p.m.
After the shooting, police believe Llewelyn then stole the homeowner’s Nissan Murano SUV, which he crashed near Blackridge Reservoir, Lohrke said. Police were told that a gun belonging to the homeowner may have been inside the vehicle when it was taken, Lohrke said.
Llewelyn is a white male with facial hair. He was wearing dark clothing. UPD released a photo of him just before 4 p.m. Saturday, asking he turn himself in.
Residents are asked to keep their doors locked and call police if they see anything suspicious. Anyone in the area with surveillance equipment is asked review the footage back to 6 a.m. for anything suspicious.
Tips can be directed to UPD at 801-743-7000. UPD has asked that area residents do not post on social media about where they are seeing officers, as it could tip off the suspect.
Lohrke said UPD is continuing to search for Llewelyn, but Salt Lake City Police Department has taken over the investigation, due to the officer-involved shooting.
Lohrke said officers have chased down reports of suspicious persons, but nothing has panned out. A report of shots fired in the Herriman area came over the scanner earlier in the morning, but Lohrke said it ended up being someone hunting geese.
