2 police officers involved in American Fork shooting return to work


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AMERICAN FORK — The two police officers involved in a shooting in American Fork last month have been cleared and are no longer on administrative leave, according to investigators.

SueAnne Sands, 39, of American Fork, was fatally shot and killed by James Dean Smith, 33, of Orem, in a Wal-Mart parking lot on Dec. 4. Smith was then killed after a shootout with two officers, one with American Fork police and one from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. Police are still investigating whether Smith died from police gunfire or a self-inflicted gunshot.

Several other agencies responded to the shooting.

Just before 7:30 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a call from Sands who screamed that someone was shooting at her car, according to American Fork police.

"It appears as she was driving, she was calling," American Fork Police Lt. Gregg Ludlow said.

Police believe there was "somewhat of a chase through the entire Meadows shopping area" between the man and woman that ended at the Wal-Mart parking lot, 949 W. Grasslands Drive. There, Smith allegedly used his Chevy Tahoe to ram Sands' Volkswagen Bug several times and also fired several shots, Ludlow said.

Sands was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

About eight minutes later, police spotted the Tahoe that the gunman was believed to be driving in the parking lot of Gordmans, 219 Meadow Lane. Smith sped off and led the officers on a two-minute chase around other nearby stores. When the SUV reached Cinemark, 715 W. Main, it stopped just outside the movie theater's main doors. Smith was killed shortly after in a shootout.

Police say the investigation is nearly complete and should be finished in the next couple of weeks, though it could be months until prosecutors get the autopsy report from the state medical examiner.

The final report of the investigation is expected in another week or two.

Contributing: Pat Reavy

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