PROVO, Utah (ABC4) – Provo Police have released new details about the deadly officer-involved shooting that happened late Tuesday night. The shooting happened during a traffic stop in Utah County.
Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, officers were attempting to make a traffic stop on a Buick on Geneva Road in Provo. After making several signals for the vehicle to pull over, police say the vehicle fled at high speeds. Officers did not pursue the vehicle.
Shortly after, a Utah County detective and a Pleasant Grove detective with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force found the vehicle near 300 N 900 in Provo. A man was seen getting out of the vehicle and officers initiated their police lights.
At that time, officers say the man, now identified as 48-year-old Paul Rasmussen, pointed a gun at them. Officers then shot Rasmussen multiple times. They then began rendering aid to Rasmussen until medical responders arrived.
Rasmussen was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. No officers were injured in this incident.
The Officer Involved Critical Incident Team is actively investigating the shooting. No additional details have been made available at this time.
In late July, a man was found dead after exchanging gunfire with Salt Lake City Police officers. Police had been able to make contact with the man, later identified as 42-year-old Nevada Escholt, while he was inside his home but he then fired several rounds at officers.
A few miles south of Provo, authorities found a woman shot to death in the trunk of a car earlier this week. A South Dakota man has admitted to pulling the trigger.
