(Crews outside of the Arcadia apartments in Sandy after the officer-involved shooting. Photo: Derek Peterson, KSL TV, screen grab)
SANDY, Utah– City officials reported the officer-involved shooting over the weekend may be part of a growing crime in Sandy. The suspect and a police officer are still in recovery as they were both injured in the officer-involved shooting.
People living in the Arcadia Apartments were shocked to hear all of the police activity that happened even before the shooting started. Christina Pauu remembers hearing police ordering people to leave the area, then hearing loud bangs, which she initially thought were officers banging on doors.
However, she now believes those bangs were gunfire. Pauul said, “I was freaking out because I’m living next to someone that’s being searched by the police.”
Investigators said they were trying to execute a narcotics search warrant but were met with gunfire almost immediately after officers entered the apartment. Police Sergeant Clay Swensen said the suspect and one officer were hit, and both were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Swensen said, “We do have the occupant of the apartment complex that was shot in the hospital, and is also in our custody.”
Investigators reported this narcotics warrant is the latest example of a troubling trend in the historic part of Sandy. Swensen said they’ve noticed an uptick in crime in very recent months.
“It’s definitely not typical for Sandy to have that kind of activity,” Swensen said. Since February, there have been four shootings in that part of town.
Investigators don’t believe this narcotics warrant is connected to other specific cases, but they’re trying to figure out if there’s an underlying problem bringing more crime to Sandy. Swensen said the department is making good progress in those other cases, but there are roadblocks that frequently slow them down.
“A lot of times when you don’t have a lot of cooperation in those investigations, we have to turn to cell phone warrants and that kind of stuff to get us the information we need. Sometimes, those are slower grinding investigations,” Swensen said.