Police ID man who fell to his death on I-15 exit ramp after being Tasered, says UHP

SALT LAKE CITY — A man running into traffic on I-15 fell from an on-ramp and died Sunday night after being tased with a Taser by troopers trying to stop him, the Utah Highway Patrol said.

The man, identified Tuesday as Anthony James Valdez, 46, of Bluffdale, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just after 8 p.m., UHP received several calls about a man running into traffic on I-15 near 600 North. Troopers were initially unable to find the man. But shortly after 9 p.m., they spotted him in the northbound lanes.

Officers slowed traffic in the area as they attempted to capture the man. He ran onto the 600 North exit ramp from northbound I-15 and jumped a cement barrier, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety.

“Multiple attempts were made to gain compliance. A Taser device was deployed to prevent him from returning to the roadway. The man fell from the exit ramp approximately 30 feet into the residential yard below,” according to the department.

West Valley Police will now conduct an independent investigation into the incident.