Utah officer died pursuing his dream

[January 06, 2012]  OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A Utah police officer who died in a shootout that wounded five colleagues and the suspect had long-dreamed of a life in law enforcement, despite the risks of the job, family members said.

Ogden officer Jared Francom died early Thursday at a hospital, hours after he and a team of bulletproof vest-wearing officers rapped on the door of a small, red-brick Ogden house to serve a search warrant in a drug investigation.

When no one responded, the officers burst inside only to meet a hail of gunfire, authorities say.

"Jared died doing what he loved," brother Travis Francom said. "He worried at times, for his safety. I don't think so much for himself, but for his family, his two little girls and his wife ... but I don't think he was ever afraid."

When it was over Wednesday night, a seven-year veteran officer was dead and five other officers were injured, some critically. The suspect, an Army veteran whose estranged father said suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and may have been self-medicating with marijuana, was injured.

Now, as the city tries to grapple with the outburst of violence and the loss of one of its officers, investigators are trying to determine how the raid as part of a drug investigation could have gone so terribly wrong.

"It's a very, very sad day," an emotional Ogden Police Chief Wayne Tarwater said Thursday.

About 400 people, including officers in uniform from across Utah, attended a candlelight vigil to honor Francom at an outdoor amphitheater Thursday evening. A moment of silence was observed, and a slide show of Francom and his fellow officers wounded in the shooting was shown.

Francom's wife of seven years, Erin, stood on stage and fought back tears during the short program. The couple has two daughters, ages 5 and 3.

Police declined to reveal details of the shooting besides a general timeline, citing the ongoing investigation.

They would not say, for instance, whether the shootout took place entirely inside the home or spilled out into the yard, how many shots were fired and how many guns were recovered.

There will be several investigations, including one by Ogden police and another outside probe by prosecutors.

Among the questions that authorities will try to answer was whether the officers, in the chaotic moments upon entering the house, may have inadvertently fired on each other.

Police said the warrant was based on information about possible drug activity, but would not say what officers were specifically looking for inside Matthew David Stewart's home, which sits across the street from a Mormon church meeting house.

Stewart, 37, was in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, authorities said. He does not have an attorney yet.

Utah court records show Stewart's criminal history includes only a 2005 conviction for a class B misdemeanor traffic violation -- operating a vehicle without insurance. A judge found him guilty after a bench trial and ordered him to pay a $350 fine.

State officials also placed a pair of tax liens on Stewart last August.

Stewart served in the Army from July 1994 to December 1998, spending a year based in Fort Bragg, N.C., and nearly three years stationed in Germany, Army records show.

He held a post as a communications equipment specialist, earning an Army Achievement Medal and a National Defense Service Medal. Both are given for completing active service, although they don't indicate exceptional acts of valor.

Stewart's father, Michael Stewart, said his son works a night shift at a local Wal-Mart and may have been sleeping when police arrived.

"When they kicked in the door, he probably felt threatened," said Michael Stewart, who has been estranged from his son for more than a year, but keeps track of him through his two other sons.

The elder Stewart said his son suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and may have been treating it with small amounts of pot. He said he believes his son may have been growing the weed himself.

He said he didn't believe his son owned any automatic weapons and that the family is upset by what happened. "This is my son's problem and we're grieving for him and all of the officers," Michael Stewart said. "I'm dead sick about it."

Weber County Attorney Dee Smith said it wasn't yet clear what charges Stewart might face once the shooting investigation concludes.

"But it appears right now, with the information we have, that we have an aggravated murder as well as a number of other attempted aggravated murders," Smith said, choking back tears.

Aggravated murder is a capital crime and, if convicted, Stewart could face the death penalty.

By midday Thursday, more than 1,000 friends and strangers had expressed their support and gratitude for Francom and his family on a memorial Facebook page with prayers, poems and other message. Some posters swapped out their profile pictures for a black logo with a blue stripe representing fallen officers.

Francom's three brothers held a short news conference just before Thursday's vigil, lauding him as an "awesome man," who loved adventure and was an example of service and dedication.

"From early childhood, Jared was determined to serve in law enforcement. He was dedicated to his fellow officers and to the public that he served,' Travis Francom said. "He was a great father, husband, brother, son and friend and he'll be greatly missed."

Travis Francom also thanked the community for the outpouring of support shown for the family and asked for continued prayers for the other officers.

"In addition we encourage everyone to remember the family of the suspect as they have a long road ahead of them as well," he said. "I'm sure this must be a difficult time for them."

Authorities said the conditions of the other officers ranged from serious to critical. They are Ogden officers Shawn Grogan, Kasey Burrell and Michael Rounkles, Weber County sheriff's Sgt. Nate Hutchinson and Roy officer Jason VanderWarf.

Kevin Burrell, Kasey Burrell's father, said his son was shot in the head. A seven-year veteran of the police force, the younger Burrell was sedated but appears to be improving, his father said.

On Wednesday, witnesses said they heard three quick pops followed by a two- to three-minute pause, then lots of gunfire and officers yelling at someone to "put your hands up," in the backyard.

Outside Stewart's house on Thursday armed SWAT officers clothed in camouflage remained on guard as police continued their search of the property. The yard was taped off and dotted with numbered evidence markers.

Residents said they were shocked to hear there was any drug activity in the area or a shootout on their street.

"This has always been a quiet neighborhood. We've been here for 11 years," said Andrew Mair, who said his wife hid in the couple's basement in fear when the gunfire rang out. "I've never heard anything crazy going on."

[Associated Press; By PAUL FOY]

Associated Press writers Jennifer Dobner in Salt Lake City and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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