A manhunt in Farmington and Centerville ended Friday morning when police shot and killed a man they said was “armed and dangerous.”
At about 9:30 a.m., police announced that Joseph Manard, 31, was located in a home where he had taken five hostages. After an eruption of gunfire, Manard was transported by helicopter to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.
Police did not say if Manard fired at them, nor did they say how many officers fired their weapons at him or how many times he was hit.
None of the hostages was seriously injured.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said in the release that he has met with the officer involved, and the department is providing them with “assistance and services.”
“Today, our officers found themselves in a highly volatile and dangerous situation,” Brown said in the release.
Manard allegedly assaulted an ex-girlfriend and had been charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping. An arrest warrant was issued for him on Wednesday, and police had been searching for him since.
According to police, they tried to take Manard into custody about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, but he drove away in his car with officers in pursuit. Manard abandoned the car he was driving near 34th Street and Center Street in Clearfield. He then reportedly carjacked another vehicle, firing at least one shot into the car before the woman driving it exited and Manard drove away.
Manard reportedly rammed a police car as he tried to escape. After officers spiked the tires of that car, Manard abandoned it near Interstate 15 and Glover Lane. Police searched the area until the Davis County SWAT team found him through house-to-house searches.
Manard took five people hostage in a home, holding them there for “several hours” as the department’s tactical team tried to negotiate with him. At some point, gunfire erupted, and Manard succumbed to his injuries after being flown to a hospital.
The release stated that the Salt Lake City Police Department and the Farmington Police Department are “providing advocacy and services to the hostages and others.”
“My heart goes out to the victims of today’s incident in Davis County,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in the release. “To be involved in such a volatile situation is unthinkable and I hope that each of them is able to find comfort in this most difficult time.”
— Tribune reporter Jordan Miller contributed to this story.
Correction • Sept. 13, 2021, 6:56 p.m.: This story was updated to reflect the correct spelling of Manard’s last name and clarify that he died of his injuries.
