WOODS CROSS, Utah — A Woods Cross man shot and killed himself Friday during a standoff with police after they went to his house with a warrant for evidence in a child sexual abuse investigation.
Around 8 a.m., officers went to the man's house in the area of 1200 South and 1200 West with a search warrant for electronic devices that they believed could contain evidence of the alleged abuse. The suspect, a man in his 50s whose name is not yet being released, was charged with aggravated child sexual abuse in October of 2020.
Woods Cross Police Chief Chad Soffe said an additional victim came forward Thursday and told police about dozens of instances of sexual abuse, so the prosecuting attorneys and police obtained a warrant. A pre-trial hearing was scheduled for Friday.
After the man did not answer the door, police "breached" it and saw him at the top of the stairs inside, Soffe said. After unsuccessfully trying to get him to leave the house for the search for over an hour, a SWAT team was called in. They conducted a "surrounded callout" instead of going in because they believed he had at least one gun.
Police attempted to negotiate with him for over two hours, Soffe said, and then decided to use gas to get him to leave the house. After doing so, the man told negotiators over the phone that he would come out at a specific time. After that time passed, they used gas again. Soffe said the suspect them shot himself in the head and died.
The man lived alone, and nobody else was in the house with him. A reverse-911 call was sent to residents in the area, telling them to shelter in place. The houses directly adjacent to the suspect's house were evacuated.
Soffe said police did not fire any gunshots, and it was confirmed that he used his own handgun.
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Resources for sexual assault victims:
- Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault hotline: 801-736-4356
- More resources available online at ucasa.org/resources
National suicide prevention and crisis lifeline: 9-8-8, or online at 988lifeline.org
