Pubdate: Thu, 04 Jul 2002
Source: Deseret News (UT)
Copyright: 2002 Deseret News Publishing Corp.
Contact:  http://www.desnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124
Author: Laura Hancock, Deseret News staff writer

MAN KILLED AS POLICE EXECUTE WARRANT

One man was killed and another critically injured, apparently by police 
gunfire, when a Salt Lake police SWAT team attempted to execute a search 
warrant at a home Wednesday night.

Neither the name of the man who was killed nor the injured man had been 
released early Thursday. The injured man was taken to University Hospital 
for gunshot wounds, Salt Lake police Capt. Scott Atkinson said.

About 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, the SWAT team attempted to execute a search 
warrant at a house at about 1221 W. Indiana Ave. (850 South), Atkinson said.

As they entered the single-story house, members of the SWAT team heard what 
they believed were gunshots. They apparently perceived a threat and at 
least one SWAT team member fired his weapon, Atkinson said.

Salt Lake homicide detectives and a representative of the Salt Lake County 
District Attorney's office arrived at the scene Wednesday night and began 
an investigation of the shooting, Atkinson said. At least one member of the 
SWAT team was expected to be placed on administrative leave during the 
investigation.

While investigators examined the scene inside the house, several officers 
outside the house with their flashlights combed the porch and walkway.

Atkinson did not say where exactly police shots were fired from, only that 
they were fired as "they were entering" the house.

The search warrant being served was for an investigation of illegal drugs. 
The type of drugs the men were believed to have been dealing or 
manufacturing is unknown. "I don't know how long they had been working on 
it," Atkinson said.

SWAT team members busted into the house, rather than knocking on the door, 
because of the nature of the investigation, which Atkinson would not 
elaborate on.

"We call this a high-hazard search warrant," he said.

Four men were in the house at the time of the shooting. The two men not hit 
by police bullets were taken to the Salt Lake Police Department for 
questioning, Atkinson said.
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