SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 4, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A man charged in the shooting of a South Jordan officer was sentenced Wednesday to seven years to life in prison.
A 3rd District Court judge sentenced Malui Salesi Vehikite in the Nov. 26, 2021, potentially fatal shooting, according to a press release from the Salt Lake County District attorney’s office, that shattered the officer’s femur and severed his femoral artery. “Mr. Vehikite then ran upstairs and pointed his gun at another officer, at which point the officer shot him multiple times.”
Officers had sought Vehikite because he had multiple pending felony warrants and was a suspect in an active stolen vehicle case. Officers came across him in the basement of his sister’s home when the shooting took place.
Vehikite was sentenced to five years to life for first-degree felony discharge of a firearm and one to 15 years for each of two counts of second-degree felony assault of a police officer with a weapon. The judge ordered the charges to run consecutively.
“We appreciate the judge seeing the severity of this case and giving Mr. Vehikite the maximum sentence,” District Attorney Sim Gill said, noting not only the defendant caused serious injury to an officer, but attempted to shoot a second officer in trying to escape.
“This office will aggressively prosecute those that seek to harm law enforcement officers that are trying to protect our community.”
