Five Utah Police Wounded, One Killed in Raid on Suspected Marijuana Grow

OGDEN, UT — An Ogden, Utah, police officer was shot and killed and five others wounded, two in critical condition, in a drug raid on an Ogden home Wednesday night. The resident was also wounded and is in custody facing as yet unspecified charges. Although police aren’t saying, it appears the target was a personal marijuana grow.

According to the Deseret News, citing police sources, Agent Jared Francom, died at the Ogden Regional Medical Center early Thursday. He was assigned to the Weber-Morgan Metro Narcotics Strike Force when he was killed.

Twelve members of the strike force were attempting to serve a warrant when a gun battle erupted. Police said they were doing a “knock and enter” warrant, meaning they would knock on the door and enter if no one responded. When the entered the residence, they were met with gunfire. They later found the resident wounded and hiding in a shed.

The resident and suspected shooter is Matthew David Stewart, 37, who worked a midnight shift at a local Walmart and whose previous criminal record consisted of a misdemeanor conviction for driving without insurance in 2005 and a citation for not wearing a seat belt in 2004.

Police did not specify what the warrant was for, but Stewart’s father, Michael Stewart, told the Deseret News his son had “mental difficulties” and was self-medicating with marijuana. The elder Stewart also said he believed his son was growing marijuana, but only for himself. He added that Stewart was probably sleeping before going to work when the 8:40 p.m. raid happened and he reacted the way he did because he awoke to people in his house.

Police are not releasing further details on the raid pending completion of their internal investigations.

Added by Phillip Smith on January 5, 2012.
Saved under Drug War Casualties, Top Stories, US News, Utah
  • http://www.facebook.com/sativagalore Sativa Galore

    The police are equal victims in the “War on Drugs.” Police officers should stop placing their lives in danger over a fucking plant. True change will come when police officers speak out and call for an end to marijuana prohibition. 

    Take the criminal element out of marijuana, legalize and regulate it, and there will no longer be a need for cops to continue to risk their lives over a harmless, beneficial plant.

    • Dicks

      Please stop calling marijuana “just a plant”. It has no argumental value because coca and opium are “just plants”, as well.

      • http://www.facebook.com/sativagalore Sativa Galore

        And both are also used in mainstream medicine, legally. 

      • Domingo A. Torres

        Education is the key, where it seems that you are lacking in making this statement. Marijuana is one of God natural creations and it has great medical and recreational value unlike pharmaceutical processed opium and coca.

  • Pyrofly70

    I feel sorry for the officer and his family and as for the grower he is doing what is his legal right under the Constitution to protect his home from a violent invasion by an unknown number of strangers. The UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS TO BLAME for putting its police and citizens in this situation over and over again.Prohibition hasn’t worked and never will.

    • Trdmr284

      The government isn’t to blame,  It is the complacent citizens that sit idly by that are to blame.

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  • Asd

    You are all a bunch of scum bags, shooting someone who is protecting you from violent crimes, murderers, rapist and pedophiles. Quit being a bunch of pieces of garbage. It’s a fucking plant, if you need to smoke, inject or swallow anything to get you feeling better, just off yourself because you’re worthless.

    • Gdfg

      asd you need to swallow stuff to make you feel better. Its called food. So go off your self 

    • http://www.facebook.com/sativagalore Sativa Galore

      Asd — watch this video: 
      http://www.thedailychronic.net/2012/7958/video-same-ogden-ut-police-force-killed-man-armed-only-with-golf-club-in-2010-raid/
      Same task force, similar situation, different outcome.

    • Thosedamncopssuk

      protecting us from what a good nights sleep?   So by your logic all cancer patients and sick people should kill themselves because they need medicine to feel better?   when your parents get old and need blood pressure meds are you gunna off them?  do them a favor?  your so stupid its painful…  if your our opposition we should celebrate now

  • Nednurse2000

    I’m not buying that they come in the night knock your down shoot your dog, and so on these our nothing more than government bullys who get there rocks off by bulling people they came there looking foe a gun battle and they got it!!!

  • Nednurse2000

    sounds like you need to off yourself Asd, got alot of built up anger there Asd don’t forget yours meds ok!!!

  • Nednurse2000

    when are they going to start protecting, everything they do is alway after the fact!!!

  • PWUERZ

    I DONT FEEL SORRY FOR THE FAMILY IM GLAD IT WASN’T ANOTHER ONE OF US I JUST HOPE HE DIDNT DIE A “HERO” FOR BRUTALIZING HIS BROTHERS RIGHTS WHY IS IT THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM CAN ONLY BE FOUND WHEN YOUR SLEEPING

  • God’s Pot

    There was no evidence of criminal activity.  A single unconfirmed report of God’s plant in a home was enough to justify SWATs deadly force against a sleeping man.  Perhaps we should anonymously report plants in cops house.  A single unconfirmed report is all it takes to send SWAT on a killing spree.

  • Blntman1620

    Your what’s wrong with America ASD… got a problem take a pill. That’s one of the worst arguments I’ve ever heard.

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  • 718c

    too bad for the cops but thats what you get when you just bust into someones house in the middle of the fucking night. If someone knocks on my door then bust in I will open fire. Whjat the fuck did they think would happen. fucking duh!

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  • Alan9074

    In no way do I feel sorry for any officer which blindly enforces an unjust law and suffers adverse consequences, just as I in no way feel sorry for any of Elliot Ness’s fellow prohibition enforcers who were killed “in the line of duty” as they strove to create a brave new world of an alcohol-free America.

    Hopefully, jury nullification will come into play, and Mr. Stewart is found Not Guilty on every single charge which is sure to ensue. 

    The people in that community and the potential jury members should remember that they can vote “Not Guilty” for any reason they please, which includes a belief that police have better things to do besides persecute pot smokers.

  • Domingo A. Torres

    One day we the people, law makers and law enforcement and the judicial system in this and all countries will know how stupid it was to have made marijuana illegal and how their stupidity have cause so much unnecessary  lost of life and broken families. This is no a war on drugs, but a war of condescending prejudicial discrimination upon the differences of others and their individual needs. There was a time, when there were no doctors, pharmacies to prohibit the use of self medications, that worked for ill individuals.  Not everyone is made the same. Tony aka DJ Sunday Towers

  • weevil

    How did he get away with smoking working at walmart? Walmart does drug test.

  • John Laigaie III

    So, it was a slow crime time and they wanted to keep up their skills?? Twelve armed guys come into my house, while I am sleeping, (How long did they wait after knocking before breaking the door down), recently returned COMBAT Vet. Now the county atty (that would be 
    Weber County Attorney Dee W. Smith ) wants to charge the guy defending himself with murder. Another “us against them” mentality. Lady, your folks caused this debacle. Why aren’t you charging the LEOs? Oh yeah, immunity, the generic “get out of jail free card”