FARMINGTON, Utah, Sept. 13, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Davis County Attorney’s office has ruled that five Farmington Police officers were justified in the use of deadly force in the shooting that killed Chase Allan.
The incident happened on March 1 of this year 145 E. State St. in Farmington.
Farmington Police Chief Eric Johnsen told Gephardt Daily, on scene, that the shooting took place in the aftermath of a 3:22 p.m. traffic stop.
“Moments later,” the officer who made the stop “called out for other units to come help him and, shortly after that, called out that shots had been fired,” Johnsen said.
A subsequent news release would indicate that Allan, 25, was pulled over due to his lack of a legal license plate, and was non-compliant with officers, and declined to exit his vehicle.
Police say shots were fired after an officer spotted an empty holster on Allan’s hip, and a gun on the driver’s side floorboard.
Police rendered medical aid, but Allan was pronounced dead at the hospital, the release said.
Allan’s family later characterized his death from the police shooting as a “brutal murder.”
On Tuesday, Johnsen shared a July 28 letter from Davis County Attorney Troy S. Rawlings, which said the five officers would not be prosecuted because “they acted within the scope of Utah code” and “had a reasonable, articulable and objectively verifiable belief that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent the death or serious bodily injury to themselves or others.
“Consequently, they are entitled to the defense of justification under the statute, and we therefore decline to prosecute.”
See the County Attorney’s full letter below.
