WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A nearly two-week-long Utah hostage situation ended Friday with a SWAT team standoff and K-9 takedown.
Police in Utah identified the suspect as 50-year-old Garman Shaun Cunningham. Officers say Cunningham had been holding a woman hostage for nearly two weeks.
The woman told police Cunningham forced her to drink WD-40, cut her with a knife, and allegedly murdered another woman.
Police say the woman was also deprived of food and water, was not allowed to sleep, and was raped by the Cunningham throughout her kidnapping.
When officers arrived at Cunningham’s home, he was seen throwing objects out of a window towards officers claiming he was armed. Police say Cunningham then shot at officers and eventually exited the home while wielding a sword.
After police commands to cooperate were ignored, officers say Cunningham dropped the sword and fleed on foot before a police K-9 was released to take him down.
Cunningham was arrested on 11 charges including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, felony discharge of a firearm, assaulting a peace officer, and more.
He is currently booked in the Salt Lake County Jail. The female victim’s identity and condition are not known at this time.
