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WEST VALLEY CITY — Authorities say a man fleeing officers broke into a home with three children inside, where police shot and killed him.
The three children, all of them "pre-teen and younger," were at home by themselves when the man came inside and were in the residence when the shooting occurred, said West Valley City police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.
The children were "unharmed and they are well," said West Valley Police Chief Colleen Jacobs.
The shooting occurred at 3580 S. Jenelles Bay (2140 West) late Sunday afternoon, according to West Valley City police.
The man had also entered another home a short time earlier, Jacobs said, and had a confrontation with the residents there.
"To our knowledge he does not have any connection to either of those homes, so he did break into those homes," Jacobs said.
Vainuku said three police officers entered the second home to confront the man, at which point he was shot by police. At least one of the officers shot and hit the man, she said, though she didn't know how many officers fired their weapons, how many total shots were fired, or how many times the man was hit.
"I can tell you he is deceased because an officer fired on him," Vainuku said.
No injuries to officers were reported.
Police didn't immediately release information regarding whether the man was armed or had brandished a weapon or what interaction he may have had, if any, with the children inside the home. His name was also not immediately released, as investigators worked to positively identify him Sunday evening.
Police believe the man is connected to the report of a theft at a Cricket Wireless near 3411 S. Redwood Road around 3:15 p.m. A short time later, police spotted a man near 1940 West and 3500 south that matched the suspect description, Jacobs said.
The man fled on foot and officers ran after him, Jacobs said.
"During the pursuit, suspect made entry into a home & after a confrontation with the owners, fled the scene," West Valley police said on Twitter.
The man then went to a second home, where the shooting occurred, Jacobs said.
The precise address of the first home wasn't immediately clear, but Vainuku said it was in the same neighborhood.
The timeline of the pursuit and the shooting was also unclear, aside from the time of the initial call reporting a theft. Police first reported the shooting via Twitter just after 4:40 p.m.
An officer-involved critical incident protocol team from Unified police was sent to the scene. It is that agency which is investigating the shooting, Vainuku said.
