Police shoot, kill man while answering call in downtown Salt Lake City

Police shot and killed a man Saturday while responding to a grocery store near downtown Salt Lake City.

Dispatch received a call at 9:20 am about two men fighting at Smith’s Food and Drug supermarket at 455 S. 500 East and that one of them had a knife.

As officers headed to the store, the office updated them “that the knife was the size of a forearm” and both men were standing in front of the doors on the west side, according to a series of tweets on Saturday afternoon of the account. from the city police department. .

Officers arrived at 9:24 am and “were told that the subjects were moving east on 500 South,” according to the tweets. Police found the men and “within a minute they reported that there was a hostage situation,” police said. Shots were fired at 9:27 am

“Officers indicated that the suspect was down. Medical assistance had already been requested and officials asked him to expedite. At 9:38 am, the suspect was pronounced deceased by medical personnel, “according to police.

The second man was taken to the Public Security Building for questioning. Investigators were working to determine if it could have been a victim, according to Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking. Police are also interviewing other witnesses.

The shooting is being investigated by a West Valley City police team. At least two Salt Lake City officers were involved in the shooting, Wilking said.

The shooting took place on the north sidewalk and on the street on the south side of the grocery store, Wilking said. Police had a stretch of 500 South blocked between 500 East and 600 East while investigators processed the scene on Saturday morning.