Orem Neighborhood Reels From Fatal Police Shooting During Search Warrant Execution

The locals mentioned the area where an An Orem man was fatally shot by law enforcement. is typically quiet.

Alejandro Andrews Demery, a 33-year-old alleged drug dealer, was apparently under scrutiny from the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force for multiple weeks.

On Monday evening, law enforcement arrived at his residence to carry out a search warrant. It was then that the lethal gunfire occurred.

The task force did not verify whether the two incidents were related.

OREM MAN SHOT BY POLICE: MORE DETAILS | Orem police shoot and kill a resident when serving a warrant during a drug investigation with their major crimes task force.

"It's a nice location, we don't usually have this type of stuff going on," said Robert Gardner, who has lived in the Orchard Neighborhood for 20 years.

He mentioned that his neighbors opposite side moved in about one or two years back. Ever since, things have been quite lively over there.

He mentioned, 'There’s plenty happening over there, with lots of activity and many individuals constantly arriving and departing.'

Other neighbors also told KUTV 2News that the house stood out to them.

When I occasionally spotted those folks over there, they seemed quite unsociable," Bladi Flores remarked. "It makes you wonder about the reason behind their consistently silent demeanor—closed windows, minimal activity, nothing more than that.

2News asked Gardner if he ever got the sense that something criminal might be happening at the house.

"You get the idea that there could be, but you don't know what it is. You can't really put a finger on it," he said.

Last night, Gardner was home when his kids said they heard commotion across the street.

"They just told me they heard a couple, two or three gunshots," he said.

Gardner reportedly went outside and heard someone saying, "Help me."

Gardner returned indoors to fetch a flashlight for the officers, and upon stepping out again, he noticed around 13 police cars, two ambulances, one fire truck, and additional emergency units had shown up.

"They locked this place down like it was a warzone," he said. "There's a moment when you know everything goes quiet, and it goes on for long enough that you don't need a paramedic to say something went down. But, that's what I witnessed."

Gardner and many others in the neighborhood were left with questions about who it was, why it happened, and why the police did this so late at night.

"What we do not know is the identity of this individual. We recognize some within our circle, while others remain strangers to us. It’s also uncertain whether an unsuspecting person might be caught among those who may lack integrity or capability,” Gardner stated.

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