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WEST VALLEY CITY — Within seconds of a West Valley police officer getting out of her patrol car to confront a suspected impaired driver, the man pulled out a gun and shots were fired.
West Valley police released body camera video Tuesday from the shooting involving one of their officers that occurred on April 20.
On that night, an officer attempted to stop a driver about 10:30 p.m. near 2400 S. Redwood. The driver had been swerving in and out of traffic and was suspected of being impaired, according to police. The officer turned on her emergency lights and siren but the driver did not stop.
West Valley Deputy Police Chief Brandon Christiansen, in a video released by the department on Tuesday, said that as the fleeing driving attempted to go east on state Route 201, he failed to negotiate the curve in the road, went over the curb and his car became disabled on a gravel embankment.
The pursuing officer was close behind, and when she arrived on scene the driver was already out of his vehicle.
In the video, the officer opens her door and yells, "Police! Stop! Stop! Stop!"
But immediately, the driver — without saying a word — reaches into either his pocket or waistband and appears to take out a gun and point it at the officer. The officer responds by firing three shots. The man falls to the ground and the officer takes cover behind her patrol car as she calls for backup. After a brief pause, the officer fires two more rounds as the man appears to be reaching again for his gun, which is on the ground.
"Stay down! Get on the ground! Get on your stomach right now!" the officer screams in the video.
The officer continues to yell several commands at the man until backup officers arrive, including, "Stop reaching!" and "Get your hands out of your waistband!"
When backup officers arrive and surround the man, the officer who shot him is told to step down from the scene.
Police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku said Tuesday that "the suspect in this case was injured and is recovering" and "the officer remains on paid administrative leave" pending the completion of an investigation by the critical-incident protocol team being led by West Jordan police and an internal review.
On Tuesday, police released the man's name, saying that Angel Bernardino, 18, remained hospitalized, though the extent of his injuries have not been revealed.
