Man fires 150 rounds at cops in ‘terrifying’ incident in Utah suburb, officials say
A 41-year-old man is accused of firing roughly 150 rounds at law enforcement officers in a “terrifying” incident in suburban Utah, officials said.
Benjamin Lewis Hansen is facing more than 50 charges, including nine counts of attempted murder, in the incident in St. George, the Washington County Attorney’s Office said in a July 14 news release.
McClatchy News reached out to Hansen’s attorney July 15 and was awaiting a response.
Officers went to a home July 8 after “a domestic disturbance call involving Hansen,” prosecutors said.
The victim came outside, and Hansen “started to fire at officers,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.
He hit police vehicles and forced officers to take cover, the affidavit said, noting that four officers reported that they would have been struck if they hadn’t sought cover.
One officer was pinned by a power pole, with bullets hitting the pole, its base and a wall, a charging document said. The officer was rescued by an armored vehicle.
Hansen fired at the armored vehicle from the home’s upper level, then went to the garage when police used the vehicle to remove the garage door, the charging document said.
Hansen “fired through the garage door and at the windshield of the vehicle when the door came down, impacting the windshield and cracking it,” the document said.
Hansen reportedly tried to start a fire in the home, the charging document said, and he left “only after (it) was engulfed in flames and he was suffering from smoke inhalation,” according to the affidavit.
He wouldn’t cooperate and was tased, the affidavit said.
Investigators found “evidence of spent fireworks in the house,” plus “a propane tank that had been struck by gunfire, and a gas line with what appeared to be hack marks made to it,” the charging document said.
No people were hurt in the incident, but a dog in the home died from smoke inhalation, Deputy County Attorney Courtney Brinkerhoff Sinagra told McClatchy News in a July 15 email.
In the news release, Sinagra described the incident as “terrifying and dangerous,” saying it put police and neighbors at risk.
“Our office is committed to seeking justice for the threats and harm caused, and we want the public — and our officers — to know that we have their backs,” she said.
St. George is about a 300-mile drive southwest from Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Man fires 150 rounds at cops in ‘terrifying’ incident in Utah suburb, officials say."
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