Man shot at home by SWAT officers
Santaquin, Utah – Batchelor died at about 10:40 p.m. Sunday after police say he emerged from his home with his shotgun in hand, moving toward SWAT officers threateningly. Despite repeated commands to drop his weapon, said Santaquin police chief Dennis Howard, Batchelor continued toward police until he was shot twice by two officers. Howard said officers had non-lethal weapons available, but no time to use them.
“They have no other options,” he said Monday. “He was given commands to drop the weapon, and he didn’t. He just continued to advance.”
Barrowman said the scene family members saw Sunday night was not the same one they have heard reported by the media. Batchelor was not a man who had numerous encounters with law enforcement, she said. He was involved in two incidents in his life, both of which he understood were mistakes and he learned from them.
Batchelor was having a difficult time Sunday and spoke with his sister, Dena Ekins, asking her how he could cope with problems he was having, including a divorce.
“At no time did Dena ever think that Mike was at a point of no return, or she never would have never let him leave that day,” Barrowman said.
Batchelor later argued with his wife, who left with their three young sons for her mother’s house. At 8:15 p.m., he sent a text to Ekins, who went to his home, found the doors and windows locked and heard a gunshot. She then called 911 to get help for her brother, but responding officers physically removed her from the property without asking who she was, Barrowman said.
“She just wanted them to help,” Barrowman said.
The Utah County SWAT team was called in after responding Santaquin officers entered the home to help what they thought was an injured Batchelor, only to hear him load a round in his shotgun and tell them to leave, Howard said. While SWAT members tried to contact Batchelor, Howard said he refused to speak with them. More on Daily Herald
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