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SPRINGVILLE — Police have identified a Springville man who was shot and killed by officers during a shootout on Sunday.
The man who was killed was identified by police Tuesday as Mathew Scott Nielsen, 46.
The Springville Police Department did not provide additional updates but said the shooting remains under investigation by the Utah County Officer-Involved Critical Incident team.
An officer was also wounded in the shootout but police said Sunday that officer was expected to recover.
Police were originally dispatched to a report of shots fired near 1500 West and 150 North shortly before 5 a.m., according to Springville Police Lt. Warren Foster. He said the first caller reported hearing "semiauto rapid fire" while a second caller reported hearing eight to 10 shots fired in rapid succession.
Officers responded to the report and searched for nearly an hour without finding anything until they came across a car that had struck a concrete barrier near 1200 West and 1000 North. That's when the man began firing as the officer went to check on the crash, Foster said.
"As the officer gets out of his vehicle, the driver or individual in the car, he just starts shooting at the officer," he said, adding that the officer was stuck in the leg. "Another officer arrived (at) the same scene seconds later. He approached from a different angle and the gun exchange continued."
It wasn't immediately clear how many shots were fired from either side; however, the shootout ended when police saw the man fall to the ground and stop moving, Foster added. Police secured the scene and emergency responders performed lifesaving efforts, but the man died at the scene.
Police aren't sure why the man began firing at the officer. Foster said that police did not have "a lot of involvement" with the man in the past. The Utah County Officer Involved Critical Incident Team was brought in to investigate the incident, per county protocol.
Foster said the officer who was wounded is doing "very well" and is expected to make a full recovery. The bullet appeared to miss the officer's blood vessels and bones.
Contributing: Alex Cabrero
