BLUFFDALE, Utah — A man was shot and killed by police Saturday afternoon in Bluffdale after allegedly strangling a teenage boy and then confronting police officers with a weapon.
Police were called to the Beacon Hill apartment complex around 11:45 a.m. when the victim reported that the suspect had strangled him. Police said he had strangulation marks on his neck.
The suspect, a 31-year-old man whose name has not been released, left the area following the alleged assault.
The victim, 17-year-old Easton Lyons, spoke with FOX 13 News after the incident. He said he was outside his home late Saturday morning when his neighbor assaulted him.
“I was scared," he said. "I thought I was going to die. He choked me. I passed out because [of] how long he was choking me.”
Lyons called police, who arrived to find out that the suspect had fled the area.
The man then returned to the scene an hour later and "confronted the officers with a weapon in his hand," according to Saratoga Springs Police Department, which is handling the public information on this incident.
Officers attempted to use "less-lethal" methods, but the suspect continued to "confront" them. One officer then shot the suspect.
First responders at the scene attempted lifesaving measures, but the suspect ultimately died.
“I looked out my window and I saw him, like, getting arrested," Lyons said. "I wanted to go out and see what was happening, then I got a video of him getting shot twice.”
“We have a shooting on occasion, but this is the first officer-involved shooting that we’ve had in Bluffdale," said Bluffdale Police Chief Andrew Burton.
Officials did not state what type of weapon the suspect was carrying, but Lyons said it was a gun. It was not known whether the man fired his gun or pointed it at anyone before he was shot.
“This is an option of last resort," Burton added. "We train to that. We train for use of firearm as a last resort.”
Lyons said his neighbor used to be a nice guy.
“I don’t know what happened," he said. "He just, like, gone crazy."
The incident is now under Salt Lake County's "Officer-Involved Critical Incident" protocol. A team of law enforcement members from outside agencies within the county will conduct a full investigation.
The deceased suspect's name was not given, but officials said he had a history of weapons-related criminal offenses.
