PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

August 12, 2023

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact Information: PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com

Media Request Form: https://police.slc.gov/mediarequest/

SLCPD Highlights Work of Graveyard Patrol Officers

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Police Department is highlighting the work of its graveyard patrol officers who responded to several high-priority incidents within the span of one hour and 49-minutes.

The incidents required the assistance of nearly every on-duty officer to include patrol supervisors, and the on-duty night watch commander.

“The response and coordination to these incidents demonstrates the caliber of officers we have working to protect our city,” said Chief Mike Brown. “Anyone of these incidents happening alone requires a significant response. To have them occur within this short timeframe speaks volumes to the unpredictability of policing and professionalism of our talented police officers.”

The first incident occurred at 4:06 a.m. on Saturday, August 12, 2023, when SLC911 received a 9-1-1 call about a stabbing at 60 West Market Street. Officers, already in the area conducting enhanced patrols, immediately responded. Due to the size of the crowd, additional officers responded. Officers found several people in a parking lot and in the streets nearby fighting. Officers safely began separating people and looking for anyone with injuries. Officers reported that despite their presence, several people continued to fight and argue. Officers found at least three people with minor injuries that appeared to have been related to physical fighting. Of the three people identified with injuries, all declined to be treated by paramedics. Several people left the scene before, during, and after police arrived. Officers have not identified the person or persons responsible for causing the initial fight. No arrests have been made.

As officers conducted an on-scene debriefing from the above incident, SLC911 received a 9-1-1 call at 4:57 a.m. about a vandalism in-progress at 331 East 400 South. The 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers they could see several people on a nearby roof drilling into the building’s air conditioning unit. As officers responded, the 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers they could see people going down a hatch. Officers got on scene, found an open door to the building, and started the process of searching. A person inside the building ran from officers. The officers inside could also hear sounds of people on the roof. Due to the logistics of searching a large building with at least one person inside and others on the roof, a patrol sergeant responded and took tactical command of the incident. Because of the fast response from patrol officers and the establishment of a containment area around the building, officers safely took two people into custody. Officers took a third person, found on the roof, safely into custody.

While officers processed the three suspects from the above incident, and while they prepared to conduct a full check of the building, at 5:22 a.m., they heard two volleys of gunshots being fired to the immediate south of their location near 300 East 400 South.

The on-scene sergeant, and other officers, from the trespassing incident immediately responded to the Public Safety Building, located at 475 South 300 East. The officers started checking for any suspects, victims, or witnesses. As officers flooded the area, an SUV traveling westbound on Peoples Way and took off at a high rate of speed. Officers attempted to stop the SUV, but the driver refused to stop. The SUV reached speeds estimated to be 80 miles per hour. Officers searched the area for several minutes but did not re-locate the SUV. While officers searched the area a 5:27 a.m., a person in front of the Public Safety Building started running from officers. After a short chase, officers safely took that person into custody. Officers found a parked car with a spent shell casing on it near the intersection of Peoples Way and South Blair Street. As officers searched the area, they found another crime scene near the intersection of Peoples Way and 300 East. At this point, no charges related to the shooting have been filed. The motive to the shooting remains under investigation.

As officers processed the shooting scene near the Public Safety Building, SLC911 received a 9-1-1 call at 5:55 a.m. about a fight in-progress near Glendale Middle School. The initial 9-1-1 caller said they heard multiple gunshots and saw people quickly leaving the area. Officers arrived and found a chaotic scene – with several people initially refusing to cooperate. Officers stopped at least five cars before they could leave. Because officers did not know if anyone had been shot, they requested paramedics and firefighters wait nearby. Once officers secured the scene, they started checking the nearby fields and parking lots looking for any suspects, witnesses, or victims. After speaking with witnesses, and finding corroborating evidence, officers determined the shots heard were likely fireworks. Officers did not find any evidence of a shooting.

Officers from across the city, including day shift patrol officers, patrol sergeants, and the day shift watch commander, also helped respond to the Glendale Middle School incident.

These investigations remain ongoing. Anyone with information on any of the cases should call 801-799-3000.

Photos from the shooting near the Public Safety Building and the Glendale Middle School investigations are being released. Media may use these photos with permission to the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Public Safety Building – Shooting

1 – A Salt Lake City Police patrol car on scene of a shooting investigation near the Public Safety Building (Aug. 12, 2023).

Glendale Middle School – Disturbance

2 – A Salt Lake City Police patrol car on scene of a disturbance near Glendale Middle School (Aug. 12, 2023).

3 – Two Salt Lake City police officers on scene of a disturbance near Glendale Middle School (Aug. 12, 2023).

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