West Jordan police have identified a man whom officers shot and killed Saturday after a caller reported that he was breaking into cars at an apartment complex.
When officers responded to the complex near 8600 South and Bangerter Highway after the 1 a.m. call, they found 30-year-old Michael Kenneth Lee, Deputy Chief Richard Bell with the West Jordan Police Department said.
During their interaction, Lee “produced a firearm, and shots were exchanged” between Lee and the two responding officers, Bell said.
Lee shot one of the officers in the leg, Bell said. Lee was also struck by police gunfire.
Although the two officers provided aid, which was continued by medical personnel when they arrived, Lee died at the scene, Bell said.
The officer who was shot is expected to make “a full recovery,” according to a news release.
“This was a tragic incident, and we regret any loss of life. The West Jordan Police Department extends our condolences to the family of Mr. Lee,” Bell said in a statement.
In the news release, police said Lee had a criminal history, noting that he had been arrested and booked into jail less than a week before the shooting. Bell added Tuesday that Lee had been arrested on drug charges.
An “officer-involved critical incident” team headed by the West Valley Police department continues to investigate the West Jordan police shooting. Their findings will be submitted to the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office for review.
The two officers involved in the shooting are on leave, per department policy, police said.
This marked the ninth police shooting in Utah so far this year, according to a database maintained by The Salt Lake Tribune.