INCIDENT DEBRIEF

In September 2021, a suspect involved in a carjacking and attempted homicide in Clearfield, Utah, led law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash on the freeway in Farmington. The suspect fled on foot across I-15 into a residential neighborhood, prompting patrol officers to establish a perimeter and begin a search with a K-9 unit. During the search, a single gunshot was heard. South Davis Metropolitan SWAT and North Davis Metro SWAT were activated to conduct a house-to-house search. Operators discovered a bullet hole in a residence window, and shortly after, a male exited a nearby home in a vehicle. He was stopped and informed operators that his family was being held hostage and that the suspect had sent him to check for police. As operators moved toward the residence, a juvenile female escaped through a window. Debriefing with the father and daughter confirmed that three more hostages—two females and one male—remained inside with the armed suspect. Negotiations continued for several hours. At times, both the suspect and the hostages stated the hostages were free to leave. The suspect said he would bring the hostages to the front door to show they were unharmed. Initially, a marksman did not have visual coverage of the door due to earlier intelligence placing the suspect at the rear of the house. Once repositioned, the marksman observed the suspect bringing the hostages to the door a second time. At that moment, the marksman initiated a hostage rescue shot, striking the suspect in the head. The suspect had two hostages in front of him and one to his side at the time; a handgun was recovered next to his body. During interviews, it was revealed that the mother had attempted to shoot the suspect while he was asleep but missed and was subsequently beaten. When the suspect brought the hostages to the door, he had a firearm pressed into her back. The operation involved three tactical teams—South Davis Metropolitan SWAT (Tactical Command, Marksman Team, Deliberate Action Team), North Davis Metro SWAT (Marksman and Immediate Action Teams), and Salt Lake City SWAT (Immediate Action Team)—along with two armored vehicles. Negotiators from all three agencies participated, with additional support provided by Bearcats from Davis County Regional and Unified Police Department, drone support from West Valley City, and rehab teams on standby from the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake.