A man who fled arrest in California was shot and killed by a West Jordan police officer after an hours-long standoff Friday evening.
Jose Martinez, 34, was killed after police tracked him to a family member’s condominium near Prairie Dunes Drive in West Jordan, police Sgt. J.C. Holt said.
An officer in a unit tasked with finding Martinez contacted West Jordan police around 6:30 p.m. Friday asking for help capturing the fugitive, wanted for an active kidnapping warrant out of Sacramento County, Holt said.
Officers and police dogs chased Martinez from place to place before he barricaded himself in the condo. Holt said police negotiated with him for hours, and Martinez wouldn’t cooperate. Martinez also allegedly told officers he had a gun.
Holt said a family member eventually gave police the keys to the home. When officers entered — Holt said with intention to use less-lethal force, like gas, to flush Martinez out — a West Jordan officer shot and killed Martinez.
Holt said he didn’t know why the officer shot or if police found a gun or any other weapon on Martinez.
The officer who fired on Martinez has been placed on administrative leave. As per valley-wide protocols, an outside agency — West Valley City — will investigate the shooting.
