Police say suspects coordinated a drive-by shooting towards officers that were about to execute a search warrant at a West Valley City, Utah hotel.
According to West Valley City Police Department spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku, the officers were responding to a report of a man pointing a gun at another man during an argument. When they arrived at the hotel, the officers knocked on the suspect’s door but there was no response.
“Our officers set up containment in the hallway outside the room and also on the west side of the Sleep Inn, which sits right up against I-215,” Vainuku said. “While those officers were around setting up containment a car drove by on the on-ramp onto I-215 and fired multiple shots at these officers.”
Vainuku said the bullets didn’t hit any of the officers, and the suspects managed to get away. Investigators believe the people inside the hotel room coordinated the attack.
“We recovered some evidence that showed at least one person in the room was conspiring with the shooter,” Vainuku said.
According to KUTV, the police arrested three people inside the room after executing the warrant.
Danial Movahhed, 28, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and brandishing a firearm.
Lenard Cortez, 22, was booked on outstanding warrants, and Ghufren Al-Bander, 21, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice.
Investigators have not released any information about the other suspects they believe shot at the officers, but the police said their top priority is finding and arresting the suspects.
“This really is priority number one for our police department right now, and the reason for that is, if you have a person that is willing to knowingly fire a gun at a police officer multiple times, then you have someone who is an extreme danger to your community, and we want that person off the streets immediately,” Vainuku said.
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