Provo Police Officer, Father To Young Boy, Gunned Down

PROVO, UT — A Provo police officer and father of a young boy was shot to death Saturday night after trading gunfire with a fugitive. Officer Joseph Shinners, 29, was shot around 10 p.m. Saturday by a 40-year-old suspect who was also shot, police Chief Richard Ferguson said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

Shinners was shot as officers tried to make an arrest near a Bed Bath & Beyond in Orem, Fox News reported. Shinners appeared to fire back and hit the suspect, who reportedly had made threats against police officers. The suspect's identity wasn't immediately released.

Shinners died at a hospital just before midnight, Ferguson said. The suspect, who was most recently homeless, remains hospitalized in stable condition. He faces multiple charges including murder.

Shinners had been with Provo police for three years. He was assigned to the department's patrol division and his primary focus was on the central business district. He was part of the bicyclist team, and was a field training officer and member of the SWAT team, Ferguson said. He remembered Shinners as intelligent, honorable and hard-working.

"He was decent in every single way and he exemplified the nobility of policing," Ferguson said. "He was the very best of the Provo Police Department.”

Ferguson said Shinners comes from a family of service and understands sacrifice. He was from the Boston area and his father is a retired Massachusetts firefighter. His brother is also a police officer in the state.

"He was the officer that you would want to show up at your door in your biggest crucial moment," Ferguson said. "He gets it."

Ferguson also shared briefly a story of how Shinners once took in a suspect and hugged the man.

"Before he took the subject to jail, the subject asked for a hug. When he asked if the subject needed anything, Officer Shinners gave him a hug. That was the kind of cop he was."

Ferguson said he's furious, shocked and heartbroken. He said Shinners exemplified sacrifice and service. The Salt Lake City police department tweeted that Shinners was a "hero" and that the department was heartbroken.

"We are #Heartbroken to hear about the loss of another #Hero. To the officers of the @ProvoPolice, we will never forget the sacrifice your officer made to keep @provocity and the state of Utah safer. #NeverForget," the tweet read.

Shinners was promoted to master officer following his death. He is survived by his wife and young son.

"Joe is a 29-year-old father and husband. He has a little boy," Ferguson said.

The investigation is in its preliminary stages, officials said.

A tearful Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi expressed her condolences for the loss.

"Mostly I just want [Shinner's wife] Kaylyn to know that right now the citizens of Provo stand with you. To all your family on both your side and Joe's side, I'm so terribly terribly sorry. You surely helped make Joe who he was Kaylyn."

At the end of her statement, Kaufusi said the city salutes and thanks Shinners.

Photo credit: Provo Police Department