Man injured in officer-involved shooting in Cedar City

CEDAR CITY — A man was injured in an officer-involved shooting in Cedar City on Thursday afternoon. 

Officers from multiple agencies respond to a shooting incident in a residential neighborhood near 4200 West, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 30, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Officer Paul Washburn, acting spokesman for the Iron-Garfield-Beaver Critical Incident Task Force said the incident began shortly after noon, when dispatchers received a shots fired call.

The incident reportedly occurred in a cul-de-sac within a residential neighborhood just south of state Route 56 and west of 4200 West.

“We had a suspect that fired some shots,” Washburn said. “The SWAT team was paged out.”

At some point during the confrontation, at least one responding officer returned fire and wounded the suspect, he said.

From a vantage point a few blocks away, Cedar City News heard what sounded like a couple short bursts of gunfire around 12:27 p.m.

The injured suspect, identified by police as Brian Peters, 40, was subsequently transported by ambulance to Cedar City Hospital for treatment.

No other injuries were reported.

The investigation is still active and ongoing, Washburn said at the scene shortly before 1:30 p.m. as investigators from multiple agencies prepared to enter the home.

“We don’t know how many shots were fired or what injuries he sustained at this time,” he said.

Officers from multiple agencies respond to a shooting incident in a residential neighborhood near 4200 West, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 30, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Washburn said the tri-county Critical Incident Task Force will be heading up the officer-involved shooting portion of the investigation, while a separate criminal investigation will be looking into possible charges against Peters.

The incident prompted the closure of SR-56 in both directions for at least a half hour, with the road reopening to traffic just before 12:45 p.m. Additionally, nearby Iron Springs Elementary School was placed on temporary lockdown during the incident.

Washburn said the closures were made for public safety reasons.

“They had to restrict people from the area because shots were being fired by the suspect and it was a dangerous situation,” he said.

Officers from several law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, including Cedar City Police, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Utah University Police, Utah Highway Patrol and the Iron County Attorney’s Office. Cedar City Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance also responded. 

At least two dozen law enforcement vehicles were observed at the scene, including a heavily armored military-type truck and an Iron County Sheriff’s Office helicopter that circled overhead for awhile. 

In a press release sent out shortly after 4 p.m., Cedar City Police said Peters had intentionally fired a handgun at other people inside the residence, but added that his motive is not yet known. When he emerged from the home to confront the responding police he reportedly “presented a threat to officers,” according to the release.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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