SALT LAKE CITY, March 29, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Three Salt Lake City police officers were legally justified when they shot and killed a man with a knife who broke into home while evading arrest in January 2023, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has determined.
District Attorney Sim Gill announced the findings of his office’s investigation Friday, declining to file charges against the officers involved in shooting of Penisimani Manupuna Halai, 41, who later died from his injuries.
Gill’s office concluded the officers “reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to themselves” or others in the home.
The incident began in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2023, when Salt Lake City police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Halai, who had outstanding felony warrants, according to the DA’s office.
Police say Halai refused to stop, fled from officers and later crashed into a parked truck near 500 North and Star Crest Drive. He then fled on foot to a nearby residence, ignoring officers’ commands to stop.
“As officers challenged him at gunpoint, Mr. Halai continued to yell ‘f— you’ and ‘kill me’ while reaching and ‘digging’ into [his] clothes/waistband and making furtive movements,” the district attorney’s office states in a summary of its findings.
When Halai didn’t comply, SLCPD K-9 officer Miles Southworth deployed his Taser, “and almost simultaneously, Sgt. [Moronae] Lealaogata fired his handgun,” the report says.
Police say Halai continued to reach into his waistband, and SLCPD detective Brendyn Scott also fired his handgun.
“Mr. Halai then turned towards the residence, broke a ground-level window, and dove through the window and into the basement of the residence,” according to the DA’s office.
Southworth ran to the window and yelled commands to Halai, “who he could see holding a knife,” the report continues. “After hearing voices inside the home, Officer Southworth quickly fired three times at Mr. Halai through the window.”
Southworth and another officer entered the home through the window, wrestled the knife away from Halai and handcuffed him, the report says.
Officers then provided medical aid to Halai, who had been struck once in the chest. He was taken to an area hospital and died eight days later from sepsis, according to the DA’s office.
During an investigation into the shooting, Southworth was interviewed and Scott provided a written statement, but Lealaogata refused to be interviewed or provide a statement.
Several witnesses were interviewed during the investigation, and the officers’ body-camera footage also was reviewed, the district attorney’s office report says.
