SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The fatal shooting of a 38-year-old Herriman man who exchanged gunfire with police in November 2022 was legally justified, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
District Attorney Sim Gill declined to file criminal charges against the four police officers — two from Herriman and one each from Riverton and South Jordan — involved in an exchange of gunfire with a suicidal man Nov. 20, 2022.
Alma Andrew Worthington was shot and killed about 9:15 p.m. following a 5 1/2-hour standoff with police at his home near 13000 S. Keegan Drive, according to the DA’s office review of the shooting.
Worthington was armed with a semi-automatic rife and had just exited the back door of his home when he died in an exchange of gunfire with officers, police said.
Worthington called 911 about 3:45 p.m. and told emergency dispatchers “he was armed and was thinking of harming himself,” Herriman police said in a news release at the time. He also “threatened to shoot anyone who came to his residence,” police said.
Worthington told police he was intoxicated and armed with an assault rifle with armor-piercing rounds, according to the DA’s review. He also told police he had a pistol and two 9mm magazines, and “that there were 200,000 rounds of ammo in the house,” the report says.
Police say Worthington was an active member of the Utah National Guard, and members of his guard unit went to the home and assisted negotiators in attempting to de-escalate the situation.
“For several hours, specialized negotiators and members of the subject’s family attempted to convince him to surrender peacefully. He made it very clear to us throughout the afternoon and evening that he was going to force officers to end his life,”
Officers also contacted Worthington by phone throughout the evening to provide him with resources and options, police said.
“During these conversations, [Worthington] began firing shots from a semi-automatic rifle outside his home in the direction of neighboring residences,” the release states.
Herriman police were joined by officers from the Riverton and South Jordan police departments, and surrounded Worthington’s home, according to the news release. The South Valley SWAT Team also responded, police said.
“Armored vehicles were deployed containing SWAT operators to surround the residence while negotiators attempted to talk the subject down. Every attempt made by our officers to de-escalate the situation was met with an escalating action by the subject,” according to the news release.
“Throughout the negotiations, multiple rounds were fired inside the residence by the subject, oftentimes in rapid volleys. It was clear the subject was attempting to elicit a response from officers, but they showed restraint and were patient.”
At some point, Worthington started shooting from inside his home at other residences, and officers determined nearby residents needed to be evacuated, police said.
“Members from the Unified Police Department’s SWAT Team responded with an armored vehicle to begin evacuations. When [Worthington] observed the activities of the tactical units, he began firing rounds at the armored vehicles.
“As he continued to engage the SWAT Team members with gunfire, [Worthington] exited the back door of his residence, while still firing rounds, and members of the SWAT Team at that point returned fire.”
Worthington was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.
