SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – August 4, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — After conducting a routine Officer Involved Critical Incident (OICI) review, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has determined that the June 20 Use of Deadly Force by Salt Lake City Police Department Sgt. Steve Wooldridge was legally justified.
Police said the officer was in the area of 210 South Rio Grande St. when he heard a woman scream and saw a man threatening her with a knife.
The officer told Kuot Garang Akol Ayat, 29, to drop the knife, but the man disregarded his command and allegedly lunged at the officer.
Ayat was shot by the officer. He was taken hospital in serious condition, but survived.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office is required by Utah State law, and operates pursuant to an agreement with participating law enforcement agencies and consistent with established protocols and applicable law, to perform joint investigations and independent reviews of officer involved critical incidents including police officers’ use of deadly (including potentially deadly) force used in the scope of police officers’ official duties.
