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LAYTON — Layton police shot a man who they believe had shot a woman in the leg. The woman is talking to police this morning and the man is in critical condition in the hospital.
Police say around 9:40 p.m., a resident of the Quail Ridge Mobile Home Park at 935 E. Highway 193 called 911 to report a woman screaming in a nearby home, and then gunshots.
Lee Glessner, a witness to the incident, said, "It was probably eight to 12 rounds fired (rapidly), one right after another."
"It just erupted, gun shots then the next thing you know, like seven seconds later, cops came in. It was just chaos," Glessner said.
A neighbor reported seeing a car speed away and a man pounding his fist against the mobile home. A short time later police got another call from a local hospital stating a woman had been shot in the leg at the mobile home and two small children were still inside.
Lt. Garret Atkin of the Layton Police Department said, "Officers arrived, set up a perimeter at the residence and called the suspect out of the home. The suspect initially came out and then turned around to walk back inside the residence."
Not knowing if the suspect had a gun or if the children inside were in danger, a Layton police officer deployed his Taser to stop the man. When the Taser failed, an officer fired several rounds.
"Based on what he'd already known, he was worried about the safety of the children," Atkin said. "He doesn't want to have a situation where the suspect didn't have a gun but he's then able to access a gun inside the home."
Neighbors say the suspect was hit several times and did not appear to return fire. They watched as he was treated on scene and then taken to a hospital. Police say he was unconscious and breathing.
Police say the children were inside the home and are now safe with a family friend.
Neighbors can't believe what happened to the family. "I just saw them in the park, the wife was playing with their kids across the street in the playground," Glessner said.
The woman who was shot has been released from the hospital and taken to the Layton police station for questioning. Police say they have been to the couple's residence twice in the past year for domestic disturbances.
The police officer who fired the shots never saw a weapon in the suspect's hand. Police would not comment on if one was found inside the home.
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