SALT LAKE CITY, May 12, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Two Salt Lake City police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing in a July 2022 shooting that injured an arson suspect who allegedly threatened firefighters and pulled a shotgun on police.
Peter Michael Larsen, 45, “unlawfully presented an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injuries to [the officers] when he raised and pointed his loaded shotgun at them” on July 9, 2022, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office stated Friday.
Larsen sustained gunshot wounds to both hands in the officer-involved critical incident, according to the DA’s office. He was arrested following the shooting and charged July 12 with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown issued a statement in support of the two officers Friday following Gill’s decision.
“As members of law enforcement, we have a responsibility to protect our community and ourselves from harm. The decision to use force — at any level — must always be made with great care and consideration,” Brown said.
“I commend the two officers directly involved in this incident; they found themselves in a very dangerous and quickly unfolding situation. They relied on their training and experience to ensure not only their own safety but the safety of other officers, firefighters, and other neighbors. Without question, their actions saved lives and further demonstrated the professionalism of our officers when faced with highly unpredictable and dangerous situations,” he said.
Police arrived at a home at 1423 S. Utahna Drive on July 9, 2022, after Larsen allegedly threatened to shoot firefighters who responded to a fire in his backyard.
“After the officers were on scene for about 20 minutes, [two officers] went to the rear of the adjacent property where they could see into the backyard through a hole in a burned-out section of the fence, as well as through spaces between burned fence slats,” District Attorney Sim Gill states in a letter summarizing his office’s investigation into the shooting.
The officers then saw the back door of the house open and Larsen step outside holding a shotgun, the letter states.
Larsen later “started bringing his shotgun up and leveling it at the officers,” according to the district attorney’s office. The officers fired their weapons and Larsen retreated back inside the house, the letter states.
“Officers were eventually able to enter the residence, take Mr. Larsen into custody, and provide medical aid,” the DA’s office states.
Police said Larsen was attempting to remove weeds from his home and a neighbor’s house by burning them. The fire was threatening neighboring structures, Salt Lake City fire officials said.
When firefighters attempted to put out the fire in Larsen’s backyard, he told fire crews “if they stepped foot on his property, he would retrieve the shotgun he owned and would kill them,” police said.
