TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) – Investigators are still trying to figure out why a 29-year-old man with no warrants and who wasn’t on probation or parole ran from police in Taylorsville early Thursday morning.
At around 4:30 a.m., a Taylorsville Police officer approached Aaron Troy Michael Rehn at the Speedway gas station at 3587 W 4700 S after seeing suspicious activity there. The officer says Rehn fled the gas station parking lot on foot and a short distance later, fired at the officer multiple times.
Multiple agencies were called in to assist in the search for Rehn as police issued a shelter-in-place alert for the surrounding area. After several hours of searching, it wasn’t the police, K-9 units, or helicopter crew that found Rehn – it was a 12-year-old boy.
At around 7 a.m., Lucas Mann went into the basement of his Taylorsville home as part of his getting ready for school routine. That’s when police say Mann spotted Rehn hiding in a window well. Mann told his parents, who called 911.
“The bravery of young Lucas made all the difference in resolving this case,” says Chief Brady Cottam. “His quick thinking and calm response are remarkable. We are so grateful to him and his family.”
The Department of Public Safety’s helicopter crew was able to help officers on the ground find Rehn, who had run into the Manns’ neighborhood. Police found and confronted Rehn, who then turned the gun on himself. He was later pronounced dead.
Taylorsville Police say it is still unknown why Rehn, believed to be homeless, ran from an officer and shot at him.
“These cases take time to put all the facts together toward concluding exactly what happened and why,” Chief Cottam said. “Sometimes we never find out the whys.”
The Officer-Involved Critical Incident team is investigating the incident.
