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WEST JORDAN — What appeared to be a fight between a couple turned into a shooting after an armed neighbor apparently tried to intervene.
Police say a they were called to the shooting at about 1 a.m. A man was arguing with his girlfriend in a car just outside the Woodgate apartment complex at 3581 W. Cobble Ridge Drive.
As the argument got more heated, a man walking his dog passed by, saw the argument, and asked the female if she needed help, according to West Jordan officer J.C. Holt.
An ensuing argument between the two men quickly turned into a fight.
"It was apparent that there was quite a physical altercation between these two," Holt said.
The man walking his dog was armed with a handgun, and at some point during the fight the gun "came into play" and discharged, striking the other man in the hip, according to Holt. He said that the bullet just missed the femoral artery.
Holt said there was a great deal of bleeding at the scene due to the nature of the injury.
The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Holt said the man is now stable, but is lucky to be alive. The wound is serious and he is still undergoing treatment.
"Any time we're dealing with an injury like that, obviously that's a life threatening injury, just with the major blood vessels down there," Holt said.
The man walking his dog was also wounded from blows to the face, according to Holt, and received a serious cut above the eye. He was also transported to a local hospital.
The woman was not injured in the altercation.
The individuals' names have not yet been released and no arrests were made as of Saturday evening.
It was unclear Saturday morning whether the shot was fired accidentally. No arrests have been made and the circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation.
Holt said that the two men involved in the shooting did not have any previous history together.
He encouraged citizens to call police or 911 if they are concerned about a domestic dispute.
"You never know," Holt said. "Sometimes if you intervene in a situation, you can't predict the outcome and sometimes it can be dangerous or even fatal."
