Posted on 05/25/2013 5:26:08 AM PDT by Altariel
OGDEN, Utah — The man accused of killing an Ogden police officer and wounding five others in a shootout was found hanging in his jail cell.
Weber County Attorney Dee Smith said at a news conference Friday that Matthew David Stewart was found at 12:50 a.m., when a corrections officer was making her hourly rounds. He was hanging by a bed sheet, Smith said, and his death appears to be a suicide.
The Utah Department of Public Safety will investigate the death, and another county attorney will review that investigation at its conclusion, he said.
Weber County Sheriff Terry Thompson defended his jail, saying that Stewart was “treated in a humane and professional way” while incarcerated. He said Stewart had been offered mental health treatment on numerous occasions, but refused it every time.
In a posting on Facebook, Stewart’s family said he died “after a long and courageous battle with a corrupt and arrogant judicial system.
“After the illegal assault on his home by a gang of thugs and his inhumane treatment at the Weber County Correctional Institute,along with the recent loss of an unfair and unjust ruling by the court, Matthew gave up hope of his ever getting justice in his case,” the family said in the posting.
Stewart was accused of opening fire on agents from the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force who entered his home to serve a drug-related search warrant on January 4, 2012. Agent Jared Francom was shot and killed during the raid.
With Stewart’s death, Smith said he was free to discuss details of the shooting. He said agents with the strike force learned that Stewart had an “elaborate” marijuana grow operation going inside his home. Officers obtained a “knock and announce” search warrant.
Smith said officers went into the home after no one answered and began to clear the rooms. As they were preparing to clear the last room, Smith said, Stewart opened fire and hit two officers.
Ogden police officer Jared Francom engaged Stewart, the county attorney said, in an effort to rescue his colleagues.
“He was shot seven times,” Smith said.
Disputing claims by Stewart’s supporters that the officers were the victim of “friendly fire,” Smith said ballistics did not show that.
“Every bullet that struck an officer was fired from Mr. Stewart’s gun,” Smith said, adding that Stewart fired 31 shots — 17 of which hit officers.
Smith also discounted claims that Stewart had been surprised and believed the officers were burglars. The prosecutor insisted that the officers were wearing identifying gear and even noted that Ogden police officer Michael Rounkles ran into the home to rescue his colleagues in full uniform — and was shot.
“These officers were heroic and they followed the law every step of the way,” Smith said.
In a statement, Francom’s widow, Erin, offered condolences to the Stewart family.
“Now that Mr. Stewart has done this, he will not have his day in court, nor will my children, the rest of my family or everyone else that has been affected,” she wrote. “He now has to answer to a higher power and I will keep faith in knowing that.”
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"A man accused of fatally shooting a police officer and wounding five others during an Ogden drug raid last month says he feared for his life because he thought people were breaking into his home to rob and kill him.
Matthew Stewart told The Salt Lake Tribune (http://bit.ly/zMxrig ) that he never heard the drug strike force members identify themselves or announce they were at his home to serve a search warrant the night of Jan. 4. "
I wonder if there are any statistics on cop killers who go on to puppetry in confinement.
I’d be more interested in statistics on the percentage of the time that government employees raid Americans’ homes are in a manner befitting thieves, murderers and rapists, and not peace officers.
This home invasion should serve as an example to other evil people that want to grow marijuana plants in the Land of the Free.
Stewart is accused of shooting six police officers.
The deceased officer. A member of the Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force.
From the Strike Force website: SIGNS OF DRUG USE AND SALES:
Odd or eccentric behavior.
Many users claim to earn their money by working on cars, few are legitimate mechanics.
Numerous computers, VCRs, electronic equipment throughout the home.
As for “Smith also discounted claims that Stewart had been surprised and believed the officers were burglars. The prosecutor insisted that the officers were wearing identifying gear and even noted that Ogden police officer Michael Rounkles ran into the home to rescue his colleagues in full uniform — and was shot.”, Well, I can tell you that buying t shirts, baseball hats, vests, all of which say POLICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, BORDER PATROL, ext, is not that hard. I don’t know what time this raid took place, but anytime after dark, my door gets knocked on and then kicked in, well, I think I might start shooting no matter how loud someone wearing blue jeans and a shirt that says “GOVERNMENT LAW AGENCY” is yelling search warrant or police.
Yes, fake shirts like that are all over and such behavior is also a tactic of home invasions for robbery.
I wonder if those cops were hopped up on coffee, sugar, or energy drinks when they took this marijuana user down.......
Well sympathy for the dead officer and family most certainly, his duty was to enforce the law no matter what he believed and he paid the ultimate price to play his small role in the tragedy that is “The War on Drugs”.
Exactly.
Guess wrong and blindly assume the thugs breaking down your door are “the good guys”, and you may learn the variety of thugs assaulting your spouse and your children are the Common Criminal variety.
The police could have issued a warrant properly and legally, knocking on the door, to establish who they were. They did not.
Either Mr. Stewart committed suicide-—or someone at the prison wanted retribution.
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