FARMINGTON — Police have identified a Farmington man who was shot and killed by officers Sunday after police say he rammed a police patrol car and then advanced on officers with a weapon.
Farmington police and Utah Highway Patrol troopers were wrapping up a stolen vehicle investigation near the intersection of 650 W. State just after 2 a.m. Sunday, when Robert Joseph Evans, 29, crashed into a Farmington patrol car, according to a joint statement from the two police agencies.
Evans got out of his vehicle and “was armed and advanced on the officers and troopers,” police said in the statement, while noting that he “aggressively engaged” the officers.
After ignoring commands to put the gun down and stop, a Farmington officer and a UHP trooper opened fire, according to the statement. Evans later died at a local hospital from his gunshot wounds.
The shooting is believed to be unrelated to the stolen car investigation. Police have not said what kind of weapon Evans was holding, only that it could have caused death or serious injury to an officer.
When asked whether Evans hit the Farmington patrol car on purpose, UHP Lt. Nick Street said that was still under investigation. “Based on the actions after the crash, you can make your own assumptions there,” he said.
The officer-involved shooting will be reviewed by the Davis County Critical Incident Protocol Team, which will review body camera video as part of its investigation.