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Man found with handgun before he was shot, killed, S. Jordan police say

Posted at 9:43 PM, Nov 24, 2014
and last updated 2014-11-24 23:52:08-05

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah -- A man shot and killed by police in South Jordan was found with a small caliber handgun next to him, according to authorities.

Just after noon Saturday, a 911 call about a trespasser in South Jordan led police to 26-year-old Ty Worthington.

According to relatives of Worthington, family members called police when he showed up at their home, where he had recently been kicked out.

When officers arrived, Worthington ran to a neighbor's property.

"The officer confronted Mr. Worthington in a horse corral, and during the confrontation multiple shots were fired," said Officer Sam Winkler of the South Jordan Police Department.

The officer who shot Worthington was wearing a body camera, but it was not tuned on.

"The officer encountered the subject and the situation rapidly escalated," Winkler said. "The recording device was not activated."

According to Winkler, the department is currently testing and evaluating three kinds of body cameras. Because of short battery life, they are not turned on for "routine" calls.

"While officers investigated the situation for nearly 45 minutes, the camera was not activated," Winkler said.

The officer who shot Worthington has been put on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.