Two police officers are injured and a suspect dead in a shootout Wednesday night in Taylorsville. Photo: Jay Hancock.
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A shootout on Wednesday evening in the area of 4100 S. Redwood Road left two officers seriously injured and a suspect dead.
West Valley City police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku says the officers were looking for a suspect wanted in a rape and robbery who was considered armed and dangerous. They encountered the suspect around 10:00 p.m., on Dec. 1, 2021, with an infant inside an SUV at the 7-11 on South Redwood Road.
“[The suspect] would not exit the vehicle and would not release the infant. After some negotiation with him, officers finally convinced him to let the infant out of the vehicle, but he still remained inside and would not get out,” according to Vainuku.
Vainuku says the suspect eventually exited the SUV after over several hours. Police allege he then fired a weapon on officers, striking two of them. Officers fired back, striking the individual. All three were transported to the hospital with injuries.
Vainuku did not identify the officers, but says one of them, a West Valley officer, was last known to be in critical condition. The other, a Unified officer, was in serious condition. Thursday morning both officers were confirmed to have stabilized.
Unified PD informed the public Thursday morning that their officer was released from the hospital Wednesday night and able to rest at home. However, the West Valley City officer was still recovering at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.
Critical Incident protocol was invoked, according to Vainuku, where the two officers involved in the shootout, and two others who witnessed it, are separated from the investigation.
West Valley City Police Department (WVCPD) released information about the suspect early Thursday morning. WVCPD identified the man as 20-year-old Anei Joker.
WVCPD said Joker was taken to the hospital following the incident, where he died from shooting-related injuries. The infant was not harmed.
Court records show Joker, also known as Ramon Julima, was not a first time offender. In fall of 2019, Joker was charged with driving with a measurable controlled substance, possession or use of a controlled substance, failure to turn on headlights, and driving on a suspended or revoked license. At Joker’s court date on Oct. 19, 2019, he pleaded not guilty on all four counts.
This case was later dismissed with prejudice, meaning the the case could not again be brought to trial. The case was dismissed on account of newer, more serious charges against Joker.
A case involving Joker had been under investigation since the incident occurred in June 2019. The Deseret News reported that at age 17, Joker surrendered himself to authorities after shooting another young boy.
In March 2020, Joker pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. He was sentenced to serve in prison for a length of time that would not exceed 5 years. He was later charged with attempted discharge of a firearm from the same incident. However, this charge was reduced to a misdemeanor on account of a plea deal.
A little over a year later after Joker was sentenced, he was released and put on probation.
Anyone who witnessed the officer-involved critical incident and did not stay on scene to provide information to investigators, is asked to contact police at 801-840-4000.