UTAH

Riverton officer-involved shooting leaves one dead

RIVERTON — The Unified Police Department says one man is dead, and a woman physically unharmed, after some kind of domestic dispute that led to an officer-involved shooting in Riverton.

Police are investigating the home at 11779 W. Stone Ridge Ct. (about 1350 W.), which is a residential area.

Salt Lake Co. Sheriff Rosie Rivera said when police arrived, the man was holding the woman, later identified as his mother, with a knife to her neck.

“Shots were fired, and we do know that the male is deceased,” Rivera said. “Salt Lake City (Police Dept.) is doing our investigation.”

Typically, when an officer fires a weapon, an outside police agency will be called in to conduct the investigation.

Neighbor Sheryl Misrasi woke up to sirens.

“I saw just a bunch of police cars around, which is unusual because this neighborhood is really quiet with great neighbors,” she said.

“It was really surprising.”

Misrasi says police have responded to the home before, but she’s still shocked with today’s outcome.

“She’s fantastic. She’s a great lady and so sweet,” Misrasi said of her neighbor. “We’re good friends. It’s sad to see that this happened.”

Police identified the man who was killed as Jason Whittle, 26. Court records show Whittle’s mother, 56, was granted a protective order earlier this year.

This is the sixth officer-involved shooting along the Wasatch Front since the beginning of the month, and the third in a row to involve a Unified Police officer.

• Oct. 10, Tooele: no one was injured when police fired a shot at Christopher Ono, 27, after Ono was accused of pointing a gun at the officer. Ono was later arrested and charged.
• Oct. 11, West Jordan: Diamonte Riviore, 22, was shot and killed by police on a domestic violence call. Police say he was wielding a knife when they arrived.
• Oct. 12, Orem: Jacob Albrethsen, 17, was shot and killed when police say he came at them “armed with a knife” as they responded to a “family problem” inside a home.
• Oct. 17, Kearns: James Kuehn, 61, was in critical condition after he was shot by a Unified Police officer. He was accused of having robbed a local restaurant at knifepoint just before the shooting.
• Oct. 18, Salt Lake City: Andrey Tkachenko, 23, was shot and killed during a confrontation with police in the downtown area. Police say he was wanted by the Metro Gang Unit and U.S. Marshals.
• Oct. 22, Riverton: Jason Whittle, 26, was shot and killed during a domestic dispute involving his mother. Police say he was holding a knife to the woman’s neck.