Man in serious condition, officer injured in Eagle Mountain critical incident

EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A man is in serious condition and a Saratoga Springs police officer has serious lacerations on his finger after a critical incident in Eagle Mountain, officials say.

Police received a call about a carbon monoxide-related medical problem shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

The Utah County Sheriff's Office and Saratoga Springs Police Department responded and found a suicidal man in a garage attempting to self-harm with carbon monoxide, Canon said. The man barricaded himself in a room of the house with a knife and self-inflicted a number of injuries.

Cannon stated that the man was uncooperative and had not threatened anyone. Officers found a pin key to enter the bedroom, but the man barricaded himself into a bathroom and walk-in closet area.

Negotiations continued unsuccessfully for 30 minutes before police removed the bathroom door off of its hinges, Cannon stated. While attempting to take the man into custody and remove his knife, a Saratoga Springs police officer sustained a laceration to a finger on his left hand that Canon described as "fairly serious."

Police successfully removed the knife from the man and he was transported via air ambulance to a hospital in serious condition due to self-inflicted lacerations on his torso and arms, Cannon said. The Saratoga Springs police officer has also been transported to the hospital. The Utah County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter that both men will recover.

The whole situation could have turned out worse, Cannon added.

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