Investigators from West Valley City Police identified the suspect who is accused of shooting 2 police officers Wednesday night as 20-year-old Anei Gabriel Joker.
Joker is accused of holding an infant hostage inside an SUV and then firing at police during a standoff in a gas station parking lot at 4100 South Redwood Road in Taylorsville.
An officer from West Valley City Police and an officer from Unified Police were both shot. The West Valley City officer is in critical condition and the Unified officer is in serious condition, according to West Valley City Police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku.
Police confirmed Joker died at the hospital early Thursday morning.
Vainuku said detectives were trying to apprehend Joker in connection to cases of rape and robbery.
Court records show Joker has an extensive criminal history, including involvement in several prior shootings.
Despite his felony convictions, Joker was spared from having to serve a prison sentence. In several cases, he was able to write an apology letter and received probation.
In his most recent criminal case, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office wanted Joker to go to prison, but their request was not fulfilled by the judge on Joker's case.
“The Defendant was placed on probation despite the state’s objection. We argued that a prison sentence was appropriate due to the violent nature of the three crimes and additional aggravating factors (e.g. the fact that he caused substantial injury to a victim, firearms were used in commission of these multiple offenses, exhibited pattern of aggressive/harmful behavior towards others)," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told 2News in a statement.
Criminal history of shooting suspect Anei Joker:
April 10, 2021
Aggravated Robbery, second-degree felony (Guilty plea)
Aggravated Assault, third-degree felony (Dismissed)
- Court documents say Joker pointed a handgun at a man and then struck him multiple times in the head with the gun.
- Joker wrote an apology letter and his prison sentence was suspended. He was given 36 months of probation.
October 29, 2020
Felony Discharge of a firearm, third-degree felony (Guilty plea, but reduced to class-A misdemeanor of Attempted Felony Discharge of a Firearm)
- Court records say Joker shot the front tire of a car during an alleged gang shooting in West Valley City.
June 8, 2021
Failure to stop at the command of law enforcement, class-A misdemeanor (Guilty plea)
Giving false personal identity information, class-C misdemeanor (Dismissed)
- Fled from and then lied to WVC Police during a stolen car investigation
- A jail sentence of 1 year was suspended and he was given 24 months of probation
June 16, 2021
Failure to stop at the command of police, third-degree felony (Dismissed)
Speeding, infraction (Dismissed)
No valid license, infraction (Dismissed)
- Stopped for doing 97 in a 70 on I-15. Court records allege Joker fled from the trooper but was later arrested in WVC
- This case was dismissed as part of a plea agreement in another case
May 18, 2020
Aggravated Robbery, F1 (Dismissed)
- Court records say Joker participated in stealing a gun at a house party in Salt Lake City. During the robbery, a shot was fired.
- Case was dismissed for "insufficient evidence."
March 31, 2020
Aggravated Assault, F3 (Guilty)
- Court records allege Joker threatened to shoot and kill a man on a Trax platform in WVC. Joker and another male made statements that they were going to kill the victim and motioned like they were grabbing a gun and hit the victim in the face.
- Prison sentence of up to 5 years was suspended and Joker was released on 36 months probation
June 13, 2019
Failure to stop at the command of police (arrested but not charged)
- Court records indicate Joker was driving a vehicle that was seen leaving the area of a shooting.
- Court records also show Joker was apprehended earlier this year in connection to a warrant in California.
Police confirmed that during Wednesday night’s standoff, there was an infant inside the SUV with Joker. For a time, Joker refused to let police get the infant out of the car.
“He would not exit the vehicle and he would not release the infant. After some negotiation, officers finally convinced him to let the infant out of the vehicle but he still remained inside and would not get out,” Vainuku said.
Police say around 10:30 p.m., Joker got out of the SUV and exchanged gunfire with multiple officers.
The shooting is now being investigated by an outside agency in accordance with the officer-involved critical incident protocol.
Police ask anyone who witnessed the shooting and did not speak with investigators at the scene to contact 801-840-4000.