Vets to honor soldier killed in Salt Lake shootout


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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah Veterans of Foreign Wars post plans a military-style ceremony during an Arizona burial of a U.S. Army soldier killed during a shootout that left a Salt Lake City police officer wounded last month.

Brandon Barrett (Courtesy MySpace)
Brandon Barrett (Courtesy MySpace)

The Sierra Vista Herald reports 28-year-old Brandon Barrett will be buried Monday at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

VFW Post 9972 will conduct the honors. The Army refused to render military rites.

The Army classified Barrett as a deserter Aug. 19, a month after he was reported absent without leave from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash.

Barrett shot Officer Uppson Downes in the leg behind The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake on Aug. 27 before Downes returned fire and Barrett was killed.

Soldiers from Barrett's unit have said they believe he suffered from combat trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder.

The independent military newspaper "Stars and Stripes" reports the Army is investigating mental health treatment problems at Fort Lewis.

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Story compiled with information from The Associated Press, The Sierra Vista Herald and Andrew Adams.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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