Utah Conservation Officer involved in critical incident in Duchesne County

DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Law Enforcement, confirmed that one of its conservation officers was involved in a critical incident on the evening of Tuesday, April 15.

According to an official statement, the incident occurred around 8 p.m. while the officer was on wildlife patrol in Duchesne County. During the patrol, the officer identified a suspect who was the subject of an “attempt to locate” notice. A traffic stop was initiated, and during the stop, an exchange of gunfire occurred.

The suspect sustained injuries as a result of the incident and was initially transported to a local area hospital. They were later transferred to a hospital in the Salt Lake area for further treatment. The conservation officer involved was not injured.

In line with standard procedure, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation. The State Bureau of Investigation is currently handling the investigation into the shooting.

Officials from the Utah DNR have stated that no further information will be released at this time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

The Division of Law Enforcement has expressed its commitment to transparency and public safety and will provide updates as they become available.