SALT LAKE CITY — A man is dead from gunshot wounds after police say he pointed a firearm at officers when his vehicle was disabled after a pursuit Saturday in Emery County.
The string of events unfolded around 5:15 p.m. after Emery County sheriff’s dispatchers received a call about a suspected drunken driver, according to a news release issued Saturday night by the Utah Department of Public Safety.
When a deputy pulled the vehicle over, the Utah Highway Patrol said the male driver got out of the vehicle and pointed a handgun toward the deputy. He then got in his vehicle and sped off.
That action spurred a pursuit involving Emery County deputies and the Utah Highway Patrol. Spike strips were deployed to stop the fleeing vehicle, culminating in a confrontation on state Route 31 between Huntington and Maple Creek, the news release said.
Once the vehicle was disabled, the agency said, the man got out of the vehicle and once again pointed his weapon at officers. A trooper and a deputy fired their weapons, striking the man.
Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation, is now investigating the shooting.
No other details were released late Saturday.