PROVO, UT — A domestic violence response in Provo ended with a suspect dead after police say two officers opened fire during an encounter on University Parkway Saturday night.
Provo police said officers were called to a reported assault near 2230 N University Parkway at about 9:15 p.m. The victim told officers the suspect had a gun. Officials said the suspect was struck during the exchange and later died at Utah Valley Hospital.
Police said the two officers who fired their weapons immediately provided medical aid until medics arrived. The case is now being reviewed by the Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident team.
Police say officers responded to an assault call near 2230 N University Parkway
According to Provo police, the call came in as a domestic violence assault at a location near 2230 N University Parkway. Officers reached the scene around 9:15 p.m. Saturday.
Officials said the victim reported that the suspect was armed with a gun. Police have not said what led up to the confrontation, and they have not released any details about injuries to the victim.
The shooting happened in a busy corridor not far from Utah Valley University, though police have not linked the incident to the campus. The department said the response began as a domestic disturbance investigation and escalated during the encounter with the suspect.
Two officers fired as the encounter unfolded
Provo police said two officers discharged their weapons during the incident. Officials have not said how many total shots were fired or described the sequence of events that led to gunfire.
After the shooting, officers gave the suspect emergency aid at the scene. Medics then took him to Utah Valley Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police did not release the suspect’s name or age. They also did not say whether a gun was recovered, and they have not given a fuller account of the moments before the shooting because the case remains under review.
Witness says he heard a burst of shots while in bed
Jeffrey Butt, who lives nearby, said he heard the gunfire while lying in bed and watching television. He described hearing several rapid pops after the quiet of the evening was broken by the shooting.
Butt said the noise was startling enough to make the area feel like “a war zone for a moment.” His account matched the suddenness of the response described by police, though officials have not said how many people were nearby when shots were fired.
Witness descriptions like Butt’s help show how quickly the call turned into a lethal encounter, even as investigators continue sorting out exactly what happened.
Utah County investigators take over the case
The Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident team is handling the investigation. That is the standard process in cases where police shootings are involved.
Provo police said the officers who fired were placed on administrative leave, which is consistent with department policy. Authorities have not said how long that leave will last.
Officials also said they will hold back additional details for now out of respect for the investigation process. That means questions about the suspect’s actions, the officers’ positions, and the exact timing of the shooting remain unanswered for the moment.
What police have released and what remains unknown
So far, investigators have confirmed the location, time, and broad outline of the response: a domestic violence assault call, a reported gun, two officers firing, and a suspect later dying at the hospital.
Still missing are the suspect’s identity, his age, and any information about whether anyone else was hurt. Police have also not described the alleged assault in detail or said what prompted the confrontation before officers arrived.
With the critical-incident team now reviewing the shooting, further findings will likely come from that investigation rather than from immediate police comment. For now, the department says it will not provide more details about the circumstances.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
