State investigating security company following shooting death

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SALT LAKE CITY — Following the fatal shooting of a man in front of a state building and the burglary of another state building the same night, the Utah Department of Administrative Services is pulling Citadel Security guards out of three government buildings.

The announcement was made Tuesday. Marilee Richins, director of operations of the Utah Department of Administrative Services, said the decision was made out of "an abundance of caution."

"This could very possibly be a single rogue employee and we might find that Citadel is doing a great job,” she said.

The rogue employee in question is Timothy Richard Lutes, 26, who was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of Thomas Ray Stanfield, 54.

On June 20, Lutes was on duty patrolling the plaza area between the Heber Wells and Olene Walker buildings, on 300 South between 140 East and 160 East, when he came across Stanfield. Lutes told Stanfield to leave but kept his flashlight on his face, according to charging documents. After getting into a fistfight, Stanfield attempted to leave several times, investigators say. Lutes, however, fired three times, striking Stanfield twice in the back as he attempted to walk away, the charges state.

After the incident, it was learned that another building Lutes was assigned to watch that night had been burglarized.

"The same security guard was on night patrol at both buildings,” Richins confirmed.

A state office building at 1389 S. State was burglarized about five hours before the shooting, Richins said. Several undisclosed items were taken.

Police do not believe the burglary and the shooting are connected. Another agency made an arrest in connection with the break-in on Tuesday, according to Richins.

But because of the recent incidents, the state has decided to temporarily pull Citdel out of those three buildings and replace the guards with a different company. The number of Citadel employees affected is between five and seven, she said.

"We just wanted to take them out of these three buildings while we investigate. We’re looking for whether this was just a lone incident with one rogue employee or if there are other issues regarding background checks and training and that sort of thing,” she said. "It felt like the prudent thing to do."

Richins said the state will look at the type of training Citadel gives its employees, particularly those who are armed, how they conduct background checks and their vetting process. She said the investigation is expected to be completed by August. If the state doesn't like what it finds, it may decide to seek new security guards or security guard services.

Citadel Security is still "widely employed" and "still in many of our buildings" as of Wednesday, Richins said. The state currently contracts with two security companies, with Citadel being the largest provider of services in Utah, she said.

The state awarded a new contract to Colorado-based Citadel in December, Richins said. The contract will expire in 2022. Utah spends about $2 million per year with Citadel for security services statewide, she said.

Prior to December, Utah had contracted with four security companies, including Citadel, since 2012.

A Citadel Security guard was also involved in a 2015 incident at the Cal Rampton Complex in Taylorsville that came under scrutiny. A guard fired a shot into the ceiling of the building, apparently in an attempt to break up a fight.

Correction: An earlier version incorrectly said a guard fired a shot into a ceiling at a Utah Division of Motor Vehicles building. The building was actually in the Cal Rampton Complex.