ST. GEORGE — Mesquite police responded to a shooting Monday after a man shot his son when he threatened to kill his mother with a knife.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. Monday morning.
“Officers arrived on scene and located the adult male who had been shot lying on the floor unconscious and breathing,” according to a press release from the Mesquite Police Department. “Mesquite Fire Rescue paramedics responded and immediately began life-saving efforts. Paramedics transported him to Mesa View Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.”
According to police, the son was holding a knife while having an aggressive and loud argument with his mother. When the mother said she would call 911, he pulled her out of a chair to try and take the phone from her. He then made threats to both his father and mother before holding the knife above his mother.
Fearing for the mother’s life, police say the father shot his son.
“Based on the totality of the circumstances, the Mesquite Police Department believes the father’s actions were justified in stopping the attack by his son,” the release said.
When detectives began investigating the shooting, they became aware that the son recently had, “a noticeable decline in his mental state, along with heavy alcohol and mind-altering drug use.”
The Mesquite Police Department’s investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.