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SOUTH JORDAN — A man who was shot and killed in an officer-involved shooting Saturday has been identified.
Ty Worthington, 26, was shot by a police officer after trespassing at 11370 South Brook-N-Lance Lane early Saturday afternoon, according to Lt. Samuel Winkler with the South Jordan Police Department.
Police received a 911 phone call while Worthington was trespassing, but by the time officers arrive, Worthington had gone, Winkler said.
Worthington was located in a horse corral several properties north of the residence, and after an officer confronted him, several shots were fired, Winkler said.
A small-caliber handgun was recovered near Worthington’s body, Winkler said.
No one else was injured, Winkler said.
The South Jordan Police Department is currently testing and evaluating three different types of body cameras, Winkler said.
We don't have a police problem, we have a violent criminal problem.
–Ian Adams, Utah Fraternal Order of Police
The officer involved in the shooting was wearing a body camera, but it wasn't on, Winkler said.
The cameras are used sparingly so they can last a 10-hour shift, and when officers were investigating the situation for 45 minutes, the camera was not activated, Winkler said.
This was considered a routine call where officers would not normally activate a camera system while conducting an area search, Winkler said.
Thirteen people have died in officer-involved shootings this year as opposed to last year's six.
"I think anybody is going to take a reasonable concern with that degree of force that's being used," Liberatus Institute President Connor Boyak said. "What the public is going to want to know is to have a reassurance that force is only being used when necessary."
Utah Fraternal Order of Police President Ian Adams said there are hundreds of cases in Utah where an officer chooses not to use deadly force in cases where it would have been legally justified.
"We don't have a police problem, we have a violent criminal problem," Adams said. "Violent crime is up 9 percent. Gunfire deaths across the nation for officers are up 62 percent."
Contributing: Sandra Yi
