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KEARNS — Police shot and killed a man Saturday night at his Kearns home after police say he threatened his family, barricaded himself inside and then fired his weapon at officers.
The incident began just before 8 p.m. when Unified police responded to reports of domestic violence at a home on the 5700 block of China Clay Drive.
According to Unified Police Sgt. Melody Cutler, a man who lived at that address was reportedly holding a gun to the head of his 15-year-old grandson and threatening to kill him. When officers arrived, they heard two shots fired; but the man's family, a woman and their four grandchildren, was able to escape to a neighbor's house.
The man barricaded himself inside the home. A SWAT team was called out to negotiate, Cutler said.
She said the man came out of the house yelling four different times. On the fourth time, he pointed his gun and fired at officers, who returned fire and killed the man.
Three officers were involved, Cutler said, including one from Unified police and two from West Valley City.
No other family members or officers were injured. The incident is now under investigation, Cutler said, and family members are being interviewed to determine what led up to the threats.
The man's four grandchildren are all between 10 and 15 years old, she said. The man's identity has not yet been released.