PROVO, Utah -- Close to 100 people were at Pioneer Park in Provo Monday night to remember 24-year-old Cody Evans.
The father of three was shot and killed by officers around 9:30 a.m. Sunday after resisting arrest and pointing a BB gun at police.
The shooting occurred at 1800 West 600 South.
According to Provo Police, Evans’ estranged wife called 911 reporting a domestic violence incident at her home in the area of 1300 West and 500 North, earlier in the morning.
According to police during that call she said Evans' had a BB gun and was attempting to commit suicide by cop.
Evans' family doesn't understand why he would want to purposely get gunned down by police.
"He was really happy, the happiest he's been in a long time," said Evans' brother Massa Lyman.
The family also doesn't understand why deadly force was necessary.
"I understand that they did their job but at the same time they knew ahead of time that it was a fake gun," said William Crocker, Evans' brother.
Evans was able to escape police outside of the home after threatening to shoot them and ramming their vehicles.
Inside the house police found a BB gun similar to the one described on the 911 call, which made officers wonder what kind of gun Evans was carrying.
"At that point they become even more concerned that it's a real AR-15," said Lt. Brandon Post with Provo Police Department.
When police came into contact with Evans for the second time he once again resisted arrest, instead grabbing the gun out of his truck, pointing it at officers. Police fired three rounds, from 100 feet away, killing Evans.
"I think they should have looked at the situation differently, not as a person trying to hurt somebody but as a person trying to hurt himself," Lyman said.
The family at this point is desperate to find Evans' wife.
According to her landlord she took the children and left town. The family says she could answer some key questions regarding Evans' mental state at the time of his death.
"That's one thing that we don't understand, like the only person that can really answer that question is his wife and right now she is not talking to anybody, we don't know what's going on with her either," Crocker said.
