SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 11, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — It has been ruled that a Salt Lake City Police officer was acting in self-defense when he fired his weapon in a July 20, 2021, incident in which a suicidal man died.
On Friday, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill released a statement saying that the officer’s action was a lawful act of self-defense or defense of others.
Gill wrote that the officer who used deadly force did so reasonably and only after the involved officer, other SLCPD officers, and members of the public were placed at risk of death or serious bodily injury after they were shot at.
The incident began July 20, at 11:30 a.m., when SLCPD officers received a call reporting a suicidal person in the area of 1660 W. 900 North, an SLCPD spokesman said that afternoon.
Officers responded to the scene and made contact with Navada Escholt, 42, who police said fired off several rounds at the officers. An officer returned fire.
Escholt was found deceased inside the apartment.
An independent investigation by detectives assigned to the West Jordan and Taylorsville City police departments and Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, as required under Utah State law, determined that Escholt had died of a self-inflicted gunshot.
On Friday, after DA Gill’s office announced that the SLCPD officer’s use of deadly force was justified, Police Chief Mike Brown also released a statement:
“This situation ended tragically with a death by suicide. It reminds us that we must continue to invest in more services and resources that support mental health care for our community. After a careful analysis of the facts in this case, and reviewing the body worn camera, I am proud of our officers who demonstrated compassion, restraint and excellent policing. They did everything possible to keep things from escalating and to provide help to a person in a mental health crisis.”
Pursuant to city ordinance, the Salt Lake City Police Department previously released body worn camera footage from the incident.
The SLCPD has no additional information to release on this case, according to the statement.
