A Provo man who was shot to death earlier this month during a fight with a woman was “stomping on her head” before a neighbor who was carrying a gun fired on him, according to witness accounts reported in police documents released Tuesday.
The woman had met Jeremy Sorensen near 500 North and 200 East on June 3 to obtain marijuana, which she had gotten from Sorensen several times before, according to statements in search warrants that were filed in the days after the shooting.
At some point, Sorensen, 26, grabbed the woman's purse and was trying to open it, even though the woman told him there was nothing inside of it, witnesses told police.
The woman started yelling for help, and Sorensen began punching her in the head, one witness told investigators. The woman tried to move away and fell to the ground as Sorensen attacked her, the witness said.
“The male [Sorensen] was over top of the female and began kicking and punching her while she was laying on the ground,” investigators wrote. “When the witness got closer the male got on top of the victim and continued punching her in the head as the witness told him to stop and get off.”
One of Sorensen's neighbors was driving toward Sorensen and the woman when he pulled over and got out his gun, police wrote.
The neighbor said he warned Sorensen he would shoot him if Sorensen did not stop attacking the woman, police wrote. The woman got away from Sorensen, and Sorensen "started coming towards [the neighbor]," investigators wrote. The neighbor said Sorensen walked "aggressively," even after the neighbor threatened to shoot him.
The neighbor said he fired twice at Sorensen when he was six to ten feet away, police wrote.
Sorensen died at a hospital; the woman was taken to a hospital for "possible head injuries," investigators wrote. Immediately after the attack, police wrote that she "appears to be experiencing memory loss and has not been able to give a statement on her current relationship with Jeremy Sorensen."
However, police wrote that they later learned she obtained marijuana from Sorensen; investigators did not identify the source of that information.
The Tribune is not identifying the shooter because he has not been charged in connection with Sorensen's death.
The warrants sought medical records, phone and text records, a blood draw from the shooter, and access to his car.
Friends of Sorensen previously said they were dubious that lethal force was necessary, as Sorensen was not armed.
