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WEST JORDAN — A suspected bank robber who died following a confrontation with West Jordan police struggled with substance abuse, according to court records, and pleaded guilty to drug possession in court just five days before being shot.
Jesse Jay Taylor, 40, of Spanish Fork, was shot Wednesday by a West Jordan police officer and later died at a local hospital.
Police say Taylor robbed Mountain America Credit Union, 6761 S. Redwood Road, about 1:45 p.m. while armed with a gun. After leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash, officers looking for the robber found Taylor's pickup truck in a nearby neighborhood.
Following a short chase that ended a few miles away near 8925 South and 1075 West, police say Taylor crashed the pickup truck into a fence, got out and ran. He went around a corner where there was a final confrontation with officers.
West Valley police and a shooting protocol team consisting of multiple agencies will conduct the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. So far, investigators have not released details about the final confrontation between Taylor and the officer, including what prompted police to shoot him.
Related:
Suspected bank robber dead after police chase, shooting in West Jordan
A suspected bank robber died Wednesday after being shot in a confrontation with West Jordan police following a chase through a residential neighborhood.No officers were injured. One witness reported hearing at least three shots.
West Jordan police confirmed Thursday that one of their officers has been placed on standard paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Taylor took a plea in abeyance on Oct. 28 to charges of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records. He was convicted in that case of purchasing heroin and meth near 500 West and 200 North in April. He was arrested by Salt Lake police officers conducting a drug interdiction operation near the homeless shelter.
Taylor was convicted of possession of alcohol by a minor in several cases during the mid-1990s. He took a plea in abeyance to DUI in 2004, according to court records, and to possession of drug paraphernalia in 2012. Taylor was also convicted of misdemeanor retail theft in April. He had no prior felony convictions in Utah.
