Police shot and killed a man Saturday while responding to a call to a grocery store near downtown Salt Lake City.
The man was later identified as 34-year-old Andrew Jacob Preece.
Dispatch received a call at 9:20 a.m. about two males fighting at Smith’s Food and Drug grocery store at 455 S. 500 East and that one of them had a knife.
As officers were heading to the store, dispatch updated them “that the knife was the size of a forearm” and both males were in front of the doors on the west side, according to a series of tweets Saturday afternoon from the city police department’s account.
Officers arrived at 9:24 a.m. and “were told the subjects were moving east on 500 South,” according to the tweets. Police found the males and “within a minute they advised there was a hostage situation,” police said. Shots were fired at 9:27 a.m.
“Officers indicated the suspect was down. Medical had already been requested and the officers asked medical to expedite. At 9:38 a.m., the suspect was declared deceased by medical personnel,” according to police.
The second male was taken to the Public Safety Building for questioning. Investigators were working to determine if he may have been a victim, according to Salt Lake City police detective Greg Wilking. Police are also interviewing other witnesses.
(Becky Jacobs | The Salt Lake Tribune) Detective Greg Wilking speaks after police shooting outside Smith's Food and Drug grocery store Saturday morning in downtown Salt Lake City on 500 South that left one person dead.
The shooting is being investigated by a West Valley City police team. At least two Salt Lake City officers were involved in the shooting, Wilking said.
The shooting took place on the north sidewalk and in the street on the south side of the grocery store, Wilking said. Police had a stretch of 500 South blocked off between 500 East and 600 East as investigators processed the scene Saturday morning.
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