FARMINGTON — Police fatally shot a domestic violence suspect Friday morning after a carjacking and shooting in Clearfield and a wild freeway chase that ended in hostage taking and a SWAT standoff in Farmington, police said.

Salt Lake City SWAT officers, helping Davis County police, cornered Joseph Manhard in a home where he had taken several hostages, Salt Lake police said in a news release. A Salt Lake SWAT officer used deadly force, the release said, and the hostages were safe. Further details of the standoff and shooting were not made available pending an investigation.

Clearfield Assistant Police Chief Devin Rogers said Clearfield police at about 1:30 a.m. spotted Manhard, who was wanted by Layton police for an alleged kidnapping and assault Wednesday, and he drove away into the Freeport Center. Officers lost sight of him but soon found the vehicle abandoned. Later, a 911 call brought police to a nearby industrial business, where Manhard allegedly shot at a woman in her car and then stole the car.

“She got out of the car on her own once she realized he’s got a weapon and is willing to use it,” Rogers said, adding that the woman was not injured. Manhard allegedly shot through a car window, Rogers said.

After police saw the stolen car in Sunset, Davis County sheriff’s deputies and Utah Highway Patrol troopers chased Manhard south on Interstate 15, Rogers said. They punctured the car’s tires with road spikes and he jumped out near the Centerville-Farmington line and ran east across the freeway into a neighborhood.

Joseph Manhard

The manhunt led authorities to tell people to shelter in place. The Davis School District postponed the start of classes until 10:30 a.m. at Reading and Stewart elementary schools in Centerville as the SWAT standoff continued, spokesperson Chris Williams said.

Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown said in a prepared statement that the preliminary investigated showed “our officer saved the lives of several hostages and prevented further harm to those on scene.”

According to 2nd District Court records, the Davis County Attorney’s Office on Thursday charged the 31-year-old Manhard with first-degree felony aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping for an incident reported Wednesday by Layton police.

An arrest warrant said Manhard allegedly got into a woman’s car and demanded she give him her cellphones. When she refused, he allegedly pointed a gun at her, the affidavit said, adding that they had been cohabitants who broke up Saturday.

The woman told police she drove to Davis Hospital, where she urged him to get help for drug addiction. She said he threatened to kill himself and drove away in her car.

Reporter Deborah Wilber contributed to this story.