Officers responded to a home around 8 p.m. on a domestic violence call. Dennis Denham allegedly had pointed the gun at his 15-year-old grandson's head and threatened to kill him. When officers arrived, two gunshots came from the house. The man's wife went to a neighbor's house along with the 15-year-old and the couple's three other grandchildren who live with them. Denham barricaded himself inside, and eventually came out of the house, yelled at officers, then fired shots at them, and police shot and killed him.
Agency: Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, West Valley Police Department
Motive: domestic disturbance
Confrontation Type: Domestic Disturbance (familial)
Service Call: Yes
Body Camera: no
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Dennis Denham
Death Date: February 6, 2021
County: Salt Lake
Geography: Suburban
Gender: Male
Age: 60
Race: Unknown race
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: gun
Threat Level: attack
Fleeing: not fleeing
Washington Post Database ID: 6571