2 police officers killed, deputy wounded in Utah shooting; suspect in custody

Two police officers were shot and killed, while a deputy was injured in a shooting in a northern Utah city, and a man was taken into custody, authorities said Monday. The law enforcement officers were shot while responding to a domestic disturbance call in a Tremonton neighbourhood. The sheriff’s deputy and a police dog, who were among the responders, were wounded and hospitalised, police said.

The Brigham City Police Department said Tremonton-Garland police officers had responded to reports of a disturbance near 700 N 200 E when the suspect opened fire, injuring three first responders.

After the officers were shot by the man, bystanders persuaded him to put down his weapon, police said. SWAT teams responded to clear the home and verify that there was no further threat, police said.

“Upon arrival, they immediately began taking fire. They requested additional units. And then stopped answering their radio,” police detective Crystal Beck of neighbouring Brigham City told reporters.

“These officers are definitely heroes,” Police Chief Chad Reyes in neighbouring Brigham City said at a news conference Monday morning.

“We really don’t know what we’re walking into,” he said of domestic disturbance calls. “And they are one of the most dangerous events that we can be dispatched on.”

Police said they received multiple 911 hang-up calls from a home, and a single officer from the Tremonton-Garland Police Department reached the location first and was speaking to someone at the home when the man came out with a gun.

“The male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing the officer. A second officer from the department who responded was also immediately fired upon by the same male suspect and was killed,” police said in a news release.

The man was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, police said in a news release. The name of the arrested suspect was not immediately released.

Tremonton has a population of around 10,000 people and is about 75 miles (121 kilometres) north of Salt Lake City.

Tremonton resident Caleb Hyre said he heard gunshots and saw first responders from multiple agencies respond to the scene.

‘It’s like the biggest thing I’ve ever seen happen in Tremonton,” he said. “It’s scary to see this stuff happening in this little, somewhat quiet town.”