South Salt Lake Officers Shoot, Kill Man After He Attacks Them with a Sword

Police say a South Salt Lake City man was shot and killed Monday after attacking and wounding an officer with a sword.

Police say a South Salt Lake City man was shot and killed Monday after attacking and wounding an officer with a sword.

Police came to a south Salt Lake apartment at 11 a.m. responding to a report that a man, 39, had barricaded himself in his apartment, was beating on a railing with a sword, and throwing objects, including a TV, off of the fourth floor balcony, according to a police spokesman.

During the 90-minute standoff with police, the man stuck the sword through his door. When he came out, police tried to TASER him, but they only hit him with one probe, the spokesman told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

The man reportedly retreated into his apartment and officers followed. The man swung his sword at one of the officers, striking the officer in the arm, police say. Fortunately, the officer's uniform stopped the blade. However, the impact caused a blunt force injury.

A second officer opened fire, killing the man.

The officer who fired the shot and the injured officer were put on administrative leave pending an investigation.

At presstime, the dead man's name had not been released.

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