A police officer shot and killed in Utah had ties to Massachusetts and was from the Boston area, police say.
Provo police Officer Joseph Shinners was killed after being shot by a wanted fugitive who had made violent threats to officers in the past, Provo police Chief Richard Ferguson said in a press conference Sunday.
He died at the Utah Valley Hospital just before midnight Saturday.
According to Provo police, Shinners is from the Boston area, with a retired firefighter for a father, and a Massachusetts police officer for a brother.
>> Watch the news conference here
"He comes from a family of service," Ferguson said. "He understands sacrifice; he is the officer you would want to show up at your door."
Shinners was a three-year veteran of the department, Ferguson said.
The suspect's identity wasn't released, but police said he was a 40-year-old man who was either homeless or staying with friends in the area.
“As chief of police, I am furious,” Ferguson said. “I am heartbroken; I am shocked. To Joe’s family, I want to say, ‘We love you. We stand with you.’”
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