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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A suicidal man holding his wife and three small children hostage was fatally shot Wednesday in West Jordan when an officer climbed a ladder, stepped through a second floor window and stood between the kids and the armed suspect, police said.
The veteran police officer shot Kyle Lambrose, 27, when the man raised his weapon, said West Jordan Police Sgt. Dan Roberts. Lambrose's wife and their three small children — ages 3, 4 and 7 — were in the room and witnessed the shooting, he said.
Lambrose died at the scene, but no one was physically injured, Roberts said.
The encounter occurred about one hour after Lambrose's wife called police to report her husband was suicidal, holding a weapon and threatening to hurt the children.
When police arrived, the doors were locked. Lambrose wouldn't let his wife or kids out or police in, Roberts said.
After police saw the children were in an upstairs bedroom, they grabbed a ladder from the garage. Soon after the officer entered the room, he heard Lambrose coming from down the hall.
Roberts said he doesn't know what the man said, but investigators believe Lambrose fired one round. They don't know yet where that bullet went.
The officer's name is not being released. Per normal police policy, he has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. He was not wearing a body camera, Roberts said.
The incident occurred in a new subdivision in West Jordan, a suburb of 111,000 people about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Roberts said this was their first encounter with the family, which moved into the house within the last year. Online Utah court records don't show any criminal record for Lambrose.
West Jordan police are calling the officer's actions heroic — possibly saving the lives of three children and their mother.
Roberts said he doesn't know how the children are doing but said, "One can only imagine that they are very traumatized."
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This story has been corrected to show West Jordan is about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City, not 20 miles.
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Information from: KSL-TV, http://www.ksl.com/
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