In the cold, dark parking lot of an Orem, Utah shopping center on the night of January 5, 2019, the life of 29-year-old White/Caucasian Provo Police Officer Joseph William Shinners came to a tragic and heroic end. A three-year veteran of the department, he was a dedicated husband and a father to a young son, with another child on the way that he would never meet.
That evening, Officer Shinners was part of a team of officers from the Provo and Orem Police Departments attempting to arrest a wanted fugitive, a man known to have made threats of violence against law enforcement.
The suspect, 40-year-old Matt Frank Hoover, was located in his truck in front of a Bed Bath & Beyond. As officers converged on the vehicle, ordering Hoover to exit, he attempted to flee. In a selfless act to protect his fellow officers, Shinners jumped into the passenger side of the moving truck. Inside the cab, a struggle ensued, and a shot was fired. Officer Shinners was struck in the chest. He was rushed to the nearby Utah Valley Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds shortly before midnight. Hoover was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire and was taken into custody at the scene.
The aftermath of Officer Shinners' death sent ripples of grief through his family, his department, and the entire community. A native of Massachusetts, his loss was felt across the country, particularly by his family, which had a strong history of public service. In the subsequent legal proceedings, Matt Frank Hoover was charged with aggravated murder, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, failure to stop at the command of police, and drug possession.
After a trial that concluded more than five years after the fatal shooting, a jury found Hoover guilty on all counts in March 2024. During the trial, the defense argued that Hoover had intended to take his own life, not the officer's. However, the prosecution successfully argued that Hoover's actions were deliberate. On June 4, 2024, Matt Frank Hoover was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Officer Joseph Shinners, ensuring he would be held accountable for his actions on that tragic January night.
