EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Investigators on Saturday identified the deputy who shot and killed Daniel Bennett Edwards last weekend after the man who was holding his teenage niece hostage threatened to kill her.
Utah County sheriff's deputy Brett Lawrenson fired one shot at Edwards, 23, striking him in the head on June 12. After refusing to comply with orders, investigators say Edwards had began to count down from the number 60, saying he intended to kill his wife's 17-year-old niece whom he was holding hostage at knifepoint.
Initial reports to police indicated that Edwards had threatened suicide, according to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon. Cannon said Lawrenson fired at Edwards "because of the risk of death or serious bodily injury to the victim" he was holding hostage.
Lawrenson has worked with the sheriff's office since 2008 and is a member of the SWAT team and also a K9 handler. Before being hired by the Utah County Sheriff's Office, Lawrenson worked six years with the Utah Department of Corrections at the Utah State Prison.
The shooting is still under investigation.