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TAYLORSVILLE — Police on Thursday identified a man who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an armed standoff at a Taylorsville business on Wednesday.
Police identified the man as 63-year-old Kenneth Taylor.
The West Jordan Fire Department had originally responded to reports of a medical check for a 60-year-old man at Aspen Landing located at 6388 S. Redwood Road about 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Taylor produced a handgun and pointed it at paramedics when they entered the business to check on the man, police said.
The man then "pointed it at the fire department where they believe (he) was making the motion that he was pulling the trigger," said Taylorsville Police Sgt. Jake Hill.
The paramedics were able to retreat from the building and contact police. Taylorsville and West Jordan police officers arrived on the scene and began securing the building while making contact with employees still inside. When officers believed the building had been evacuated except for the armed man, they attempted to make contact but were unsuccessful, said Hill.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the SWAT team was contacted. SWAT attempts to contact the man were unsuccessful and a search warrant was obtained to enter the business.
"Obviously, the goal being a peaceful resolution," Hill said. "However, after a couple hours of those attempts, they eventually were not able to make contact with the tools that they had available to them."
SWAT officers located Taylor's body with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound after they entered the building, Hill added.
Police are still investigating the incident and what may have led up to it. Police say "several" handguns were also collected from the scene.
