MAGNA, Utah (ABC4) — One man is dead after being shot and killed during an officer-involved shooting in a Magna neighborhood on Wednesday morning, Nov. 15.
The man, who has been identified as Joseph Dean Black, 48, was allegedly using a “long gun” and shooting in a Magna neighborhood near 7600 West and 3300 South around midnight. When officers responded to the area, they said Black went to a home with a woman inside.
Sgt. Melody Cutler with the Unified Police Department said first responders believed the woman was a hostage and a SWAT Team was called in. As officers began approaching the home, Black and woman both came out of the home.
“The man fired additional shots and the woman went to the ground. At that point, our officers believed that she had been shot, so, they returned fire on the man,” said Cutler.
Cutler confirmed Black was struck by police return fire and died on the scene. The woman was uninjured. No officer injuries were reported as a result of the shooting.
The Unified Police Department did not disclose whether Black and the woman knew each other, or if there was a possible motive for him to be firing shots throughout the neighborhood.
The Officer Involved Critical Incident protocol was invoked and the Salt Lake City Police Department took over as the lead investigative agency overseeing the shooting.
Streets in the neighborhood were closed for several hours while police conducted a preliminary investigation.