OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — Ogden City Police described the chaotic scene that occurred at a Washington Blvd. apartment complex on Tuesday, June 6, in which an officer was injured and a suspect killed.
Ogden Police Chief Eric Young said Brian D. Simonton was shot and killed after he violated a protective order. The protected person called the police and hid after Simonton, who was armed, started “acting strange, acting as if he wanted to kill himself or wanted to be killed,” said Young.
The officer who would later be shot arrived at the scene shortly after 3:30 p.m. and witnessed Simonton walking through the apartment complex parking lot with his gun drawn. Young said the officer told Simonton to drop the weapon multiple times, but ultimately Simonton pointed the weapon toward the officer and fired.
Shortly after, additional officers, who had arrived on the scene, returned fire. Young said as many as eight officers returned fire, though it isn’t currently clear how many shots were fired.
“A lot,” said Young.
Simonton sustained serious injuries in the shootout, and the original officer who responded to the call was struck by a bullet, which traveled up his arm and struck him in the chest. The bullet did not penetrate the officer’s chest.
Despite being injured, Simonton did not respond to officers’ demands that he move away from his gun, and Young said a K9 officer was used to drag Simonton away from his gun. Officers attempted to apply first-aid and medical attention to Simonton, who eventually died from his wounds.
Simonton had previous arrests and convictions for domestic violence assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, violation of a protective order, and firearms charges, according to the information given to reporters by Young.
All officers involved in the shootout are currently on administrative leave and the Weber County District Attorney’s Office took over the investigation. Young said a number of body cams were running during the shootout, and while it will be up to the district attorney as to when that footage may be released, Young said his department would work to “expedite that process.”
The officer who was shot, who was not named in today’s press conference is “in good spirits,” said Young, as he recovers from his wound. After undergoing surgery, the officer is at home recovering.
“We expect a full recovery at some point, but it’s going to be a drawn-out process,” said Young. “There’s quite a bit of damage done.”
Young commended the 911 caller for not attempting to take care of the situation herself, and he urged victims of domestic violence to reach out for help. He also commended 911 dispatchers for their work in chaotic situations. Young also said he was pleased that no other bystanders were injured.
“We believe this could have been far worse than it was,” said Young.
