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Gene Kennedy Reporting It was supposed to be an undercover drug buy. But the man police were after is dead this morning.
Just before 9:00 last night, undercover officers were meeting the man in the parking lot at 4800 West 3500 South to make the drug buy.
When he arrived, police used two unmarked cars to pin the man's SUV so he couldn't get away. But before they could arrest him, police say he pulled out a gun.
A back-up officer who was on scene thought the suspect was going to shoot at police.
Capt. Tom McLachlin, West Valley Police Dept.: "In this particular incident, the officer saw the suspect with a handgun. They feared for their lives and the lives of other officers, so they took the only appropriate action they could take."
The officers fired multiple shots and killed the suspect behind the driver's seat of his SUV.
We have put in phone calls to West Valley Police this morning to try and get an age and name of the suspect. We'll still waiting to hear back on that.
Police are hoping evidence inside the man's SUV will confirm whether he was trying to shoot at police. That's why officers waited on scene last night to get a search warrant.
Today Salt Lake County Attorney begins an investigation while the undercover officers are on paid leave. That's standard protocol anytime there's a shooting.
Luckily no one else was hurt in this incident. The police officers are fine.
