Officer Joseph D. Adams

Age: 26
Lehi Police Department
Homicide: Handgun

Officer Joseph D. Adams was shot and killed during a traffic stop.
Officer Adams was working a DUI shift when he stopped a car under an I-15 overpass in Lehi. During the arrest and search of the driver, Officer Adams discovered some cocaine. The suspect suddenly produced a .25-caliber handgun and shot the officer in an area not covered by his body armor. Officer Adams was able to wound his assailant before dying. The assailant fled the scene in his vehicle but collapsed at a gas station in Draper. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and is currently incarcerated at Utah State Prison. Officer Adams is survived by a wife and small son. He is buried in Orem City Cemetery.
The bronze memorial name plaque of Officer Joseph D. Adams is sponsored by his son, Cade Joseph Adams.