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OGDEN — Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Ogden Friday evening.
About 6:10 p.m., a woman flagged down officers and told them she had been kidnapped by a man, said Ogden Police Chief Randy Watt. The woman gave the officers a description of the man and they soon spotted him on the sidewalk nearby at 2500 Washington Blvd.
The shooting unfolded near Ogden's Christmas Village.
"We didn't choose the place or time, he did," Watt said.
Watt said as soon as the kidnapping suspect saw the officers, he pulled out a pistol and fired at them. A police vehicle was struck several times, the chief said.
Two officers returned fire and shot the suspect, killing him, Watt said. The man's name was not immediately released, but Watt said he was in his late 20s to early 30s.
"I would like to point out and first congratulate the officers who were placed in great danger and removed an armed felon in the act of committing an aggravated felony from the streets. And we're very proud of the officers and what they did, the actions that they took. Unfortunate actions, but very necessary actions," Watt said.
The woman, he said, had been able to escape the man and was "safe and well." Police were interviewing her Friday evening. Watt declined to say how the woman escaped from the man.
Despite the proximity to the city's popular Christmas site, no bystanders were injured.
"We were fortunate in that there was almost nobody in that area at that time," Watt said, adding that there was a lull in traffic.
Lights at the Christmas Village were lit last Saturday. The yearly display includes cottages modeled after Santa's village at the North Pole and live entertainment. The tradition began in 1962 and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
"We would like to point out that this is not reflective in any way of risk or lack of safety in Ogden city," Watt said, adding that the abduction happened outside of the city and the man drove into the city with the victim.
He called it a "total coincidence" that the incident ended in downtown Ogden.
An officer-involved critical incident protocol team was on scene investigating and interviewing witnesses following the shooting.
Information about the officers who shot at the man was not provided Friday. They were placed on administrative leave per protocol while the shooting is reviewed, Watt said.
Additional information is expected to be released Saturday.
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Ashley Imlay
