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PAYSON — Payson police on Monday arrested a 20-year-old man who was shot and injured by a police officer on Saturday after police say he swung a knife near an officer.
Officers responded to the report of a shoplifting at Payson Market, 586 N. Main St. Two officers saw a man leaving the store, and when they called out to him, they saw he had a knife, said Payson Police Sgt. Noemi Sandoval.
According to a police booking affidavit, the man leaving the store matched the description officers were given of the shoplifter. Police asked the man to speak with them, but he started retreating and officers noticed he was holding a "silver metal tool" and a knife with a 5-inch blade, the affidavit states.
The man, identified as Octavio Salas, said "shoot me" while he was retreating, according to police. Officers called out for him to drop the knife, but he refused.
Tasers were deployed on Salas three times, but were "ineffective," the affidavit said.
"As a third taser was deployed, the suspect began advancing on the officer who fired the taser. When this taser failed, the suspect began running at the officer raising the knife in a swinging motion," according to the affidavit.
Salas came "within feet" of the officer while swinging the knife, and a different officer fired two rounds, hitting him once in the shoulder, police said.
The officers rendered medical aid on scene, as he was in potentially life-threatening condition, Sandoval said.
While officers rendered aid, Salas said, "Why am I not dead?" and "I want to die," according to the affidavit. When asked where he was shot, he stated, "I don't know; it felt good though," the affidavit said.
He was taken to Mountain View Hospital and then flown via medical helicopter to Utah Valley Hospital.
Salas was released from the hospital and arrested Monday afternoon for investigation of attempted aggravated murder, retail theft and failure to stop at the command of a police officer.
Neither of the officers were injured. The Utah County Sheriff's Office critical incident team is investigating.
Police are asking anyone who might have seen the incident to contact them. Utah County's nonemergency dispatch number is 801-794-3970.
