HOLLADAY, Utah — Officer Doug Barney of the Unified Police Department died after he was shot in the head by a suspect as officer Barney responded to the scene of a traffic accident in Holladay Sunday morning.
Another officer, Jon Richey, was struck three times by the same suspect and is in stable condition while the suspect was shot and killed in the exchange of gunfire.
Sunday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued a statement expressing his condolences and indicating that once a funeral date for Barney has been set, he will order flags across Utah be lowered to half-staff to honor Barney’s sacrifice.
The Governor stated:
“Today a husband and father left his wife and three children, put on a badge, and promised to return home soon. On behalf of Utah residents from across the state, our hearts are broken for the family of Officer Doug Barney who gave the ultimate sacrifice today while in the line of duty. Jeanette and I also extend our prayers to Officer Jon Richey and his family as he undergoes the recovery process”
“Every day, we send our men and women in uniform into harm’s way so that we may live in peace and safety. On a day like today, we are reminded that we will never be able to thank them and their families enough for the sacrifices they have made.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski sent a statement via Twitter Sunday as well:
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes stated he and his office wished to express their deepest sympathy to Barney and the Utah law enforcement community.
“Annually, we stand as a law enforcement community in our nation’s capitol to remember local heroes like Sgt. Cory Wride, Sgt. Derek Johnson and Trooper Aaron Beesley for their courage and ultimate sacrifice while serving as peace officers in Utah communities. After almost two years of respite from such loss in our state, we sadly add 18-year veteran Officer Douglas Barney to that hallowed list. We pray for the complete recovery of Officer Jon Richey, who was also shot in the line of duty today.
The Office of the Attorney General and I, personally, mourn for all who are impacted by the loss of Officer Barney to our Utah law enforcement family. We express our deepest sympathy and gratitude to his family and pray they will find some peace in his valor and distinctive service as he and Officer Richey today protected citizens and their fellow officers from what could have been an even more widespread and senseless tragedy.
We will have opportunities in the coming days, weeks and years to pay tribute to Officer Doug Barney for his ultimate sacrifice and Officer Richey for his own valiant sacrifice. Today, we simply offer our prayers for Officer Richey’s recovery and our deep regret for the premature end of Officer Barney’s watch, which fell on what should have been a peaceful Sunday morning.”
Police and fire departments around Utah, including UPD where Barney served, also took to social media to show their support for the officers killed or injured in the incident.
