MURRAY — A Murray police officer shot and critically injured a suspected burglar armed with what turned out to be a pellet gun Sunday during a confrontation at Southwood Park.
Witnesses reported a man going through yards and a recreational vehicle about 10 a.m. and told police they last saw him go into a restroom in the park at 6150 S. 725 East.
Several officers responded to the area, including an off-duty officer on his way to work who stopped at the park, said Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger.
The officer found the man in a restroom, where a minor confrontation occurred, Carriger said. The officer saw what appeared to be a handgun in the man’s waistband, he said.
The man left the bathroom, and the officer confronted him a second time.
"As the officer re-engaged him, that individual produced what was believed to be a handgun and was turning at the officer with that handgun," he said.
The three-year veteran officer shot the man once in the face, he said. The man, described as white and in his mid to late 30s, was taken to the hospital, where he was in critical condition. Police have not released the names of the man or the officer.
Investigators later determined the handgun was a pellet gun that was stolen in the burglary Murray officers were investigating.
The pellet gun was all black and consistent with the appearance of a real handgun and could be difficult to identify as a pellet gun without actually handling it, according to Carriger.
Neither Carriger nor Murray Police Chief Craig Burnett knew if the officer was wearing a body camera because he was en route to work at the time. Murray equips its patrol officers with body cams, Burnett said.
Sandy police are investigating the incident under new state guidelines that don't allow departments to investigate their own officer-involved shootings. Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office investigators are also on the scene.
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