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Name released of man killed by Billings officer Monday morning

Posted at 11:23 AM, Apr 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-10 13:23:35-04

BILLINGS – The man shot and killed by a Billings police officer on Monday has been identified.

Yellowstone County Coroner Cliff Mahoney identified the man as 29-year-old Zachary Glen Hoven of Billings.

Mahoney said Hoven was shot in the upper torso.

Hoven was shot three times by officers on Monday morning, Police Chief Rich St. John said.

Hoven was in the Sandra Apartment building at 13. N. 32nd St. around 10 a.m. when he was seen by someone in another building through an open window swinging a knife, St. John said.  

When officers arrived, Hoven reportedly threw knives at an officer in an alley. That officer fired a Taser at Hoven from outside the building toward the window, but either didn’t hit him or otherwise did not subdue him, St. John said. 

Two officers, Jairo Solorio and Brian Weaver, entered the building and went to the apartment where Hoven was. He emerged from the room with a knife tied or affixed to his hand and began moving toward the two officers, St. John said. 

They told him to stop and drop the knife, St. John said. When he didn’t, Solorio fired his Taser and Weaver fired with his handgun, the chief said. 

Hoven was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

Mahoney said it will be months before a toxicology report from the state crime lab is complete. Until then, they will not know if Hoven had drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the shooting.

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