This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Murray police officer shot a suspect in the face Sunday morning after the man allegedly brandished a weapon, which turned out to be a pellet gun, at a public park.
The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken into custody and hospitalized in critical condition. Sandy police, as is policy, are jointly investigating the shooting along with a team from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Police heard reports Sunday morning of a suspicious man who was allegedly burglarizing a motorhome near Southwood Park, at 6150 S. 728 East. Officers responded to the park about 10:15 a.m., said Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger. A witness to the alleged burglary followed the suspect, and saw him walk into a park bathroom, Carriger said.
One of the officers went inside, and encountered a man who matched the suspect description. They had a "minor confrontation," and the suspect left the bathroom, Carriger said. The officer followed him into a grassy area, and saw what appeared to be a handgun in the suspect's waistband.
"He pulled that from his waistband and began turning toward the officer with it in hand," Carriger said, at which point the officer shot him in the cheek.
Investigators said they later learned that what the officer thought to be a handgun was a black pellet gun, "consistent in appearance with a real handgun," according to a Sandy police news release. "It could be difficult to identify it as a pellet gun without actually handling it."
Police say the pellet gun was allegedly stolen during the motorhome burglary.
The officer involved in the shooting has been with Murray police for about three years, Carriger said. It was not known if the officer was wearing a body camera.
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