Editor’s note and content warning • This article discusses suicide. If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255.
An Orem police officer fatally shot a man early Saturday after the man allegedly threatened to kill a family member.
Officers were dispatched to a residence near 400 East Heather Road on a report of a man having a mental episode at about 12:05 a.m. Saturday. In a news release, officials said the man was possibly armed and had allegedly threatened suicide.
After officers attempted to contact the man inside the residence, the man called dispatch and told them he was armed with a gun and “made other threatening comments,” officials said. He also reported he had explosives in the home.
Police entered the residence when the man attempted to break into a bathroom where a family member was hiding. The man allegedly continued to make threats to kill the family member when police reached him in the bathroom, and an officer shot the man to stop him from killing the family member.
The man died at the scene despite lifesaving efforts. The man’s family member was uninjured and safely escorted from the home, officials said.
Further details about the shooting or the man’s identity were not released as of Saturday morning.
The shooting marked the 22nd police shooting in Utah so far this year, according to a database maintained by The Salt Lake Tribune. Officials are investigating the shooting in accordance with the Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol.
