Utah officer ‘devastated’ after deadly shootout with suspect

SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah police officer says he's "devastated" by a shootout with a drug suspect that wounded him and four other officers and left another colleague dead.

Jason Vanderwarf was one of six police officers from a narcotics strike force shot Wednesday night while serving a search warrant at a house in Ogden, about 35 miles north of Salt Lake City.

The suspect, Matthew Stewart, is accused of opening fire after officers received no response to their knocks and entered his home.

Vanderwarf, 37, who was released Thursday from the hospital after treatment for a hip wound, said he'll remember fallen Ogden officer Jared Francom as someone who "loved his job, loved his family."

Vanderwarf said his hip requires no further treatment, and he wants to return to duty in part to pay tribute to Francom, who grew up in Las Vegas.

"There's still a job to be done, and the best thing we can do is honor Francom and his family by doing our job," the Roy officer told The Salt Lake Tribune.

Vanderwarf declined to discuss the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation. He did say he remained conscious afterward and was aware of what had happened.

Ogden officers Kasey Burrell and Michael Rounkles remained in critical condition Saturday at an Ogden hospital. Two others, Shawn Grogan and Nate Hutchinson, were listed in fair condition.

Stewart, 37, an Army veteran, continued to be held under 24-hour guard Saturday at an undisclosed hospital. Police have said he was shot in the raid.

Ogden Police Chief Wayne Tarwater said charges were pending, and the Weber County Attorney's Office has taken over the case.

Phone calls to County Attorney Dee W. Smith's office went unanswered Saturday. He has called the case against Stewart aggravated murder, which can result in the death penalty.

Lawyer Randy Richards, who represents Stewart, said he hasn't discussed the case yet with his client.

"From what I've read in the papers, they caught him (Stewart) by surprise," Richards told the Standard-Examiner of Ogden. "For someone to say he was trying to kill all the officers, that's a stretch. ... It seems hard to say that it's anything premeditated.

"As his (Stewart's) attorney, my heart goes out to the slain officer's family. This is obviously a tragedy that never should have happened," he added.

Richards and Smith were law partners until Smith was appointed county attorney in May 2009.

Meanwhile, Stewart's father, Mike, has been the investigator assigned to Weber County public defenders, including Richards, for at least 15 years.

Richards said Stewart is under contract with Weber County to provide investigative services to the county's roster of public defenders.