Joseph Dan Adams, a 26-year-old White male, was working a special DUI enforcement shift for the Lehi Police Department on the night of August 3, 2001. At approximately 11:00 p.m., he conducted a traffic stop of a suspected drunk driver at 2100 North 1200 West. The driver, later identified as Arturo Javier Scott Welch, failed several field sobriety tests, prompting Adams to attempt an arrest.
As Officer Adams was in the process of handcuffing the suspect, having secured one of his wrists,
the situation took a tragic turn. Welch managed to pull out a small-caliber handgun and fired a shot over his shoulder, striking Adams. Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Adams was able to draw his own weapon and return fire, hitting Welch twice and critically injuring him.
After the exchange of gunfire, Welch managed to get back into his vehicle and flee the scene. A passenger who had been in Welch's car got out and attempted to provide medical assistance to the fallen officer while also calling 911 for help. Officer Adams was airlifted to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after midnight on August 4, 2001. Welch was apprehended a short time later in the parking lot of a gas station in Draper, suffering from the gunshot wounds he had sustained. Officer Adams' handcuffs were reportedly still attached to one of his wrists. Welch was subsequently convicted of murder in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Joseph Dan Adams, a four-year veteran of the police department and a Utah National Guard veteran, was survived by his wife and their 7-month-old son. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
