SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 31, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Utah Transit Authority police officer has been cleared of wrongdoing after shooting and injuring a man who allegedly threatened officers with a knife on Sept. 1, 2022.
Mark Leonard Lovato was shot multiple times near the TRAX station at 900 South and 200 West after police say he charged at two UTA officers while wielding a knife. Lovato died about four months later at a health care facility in Midvale, though it’s unclear whether his death stemmed from the shooting.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office ruled Friday that the use of deadly force was justified, saying “there is no question that Mr. Lovato unlawfully presented an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury” to the UTA officers.
The incident began when two UTA police officers saw Lovato arguing with another man on the northwest corner of 900 South and 200 West, according to the district attorney’s ruling. After officers shined their flashlights on the men, police say Lovato walked away while the other man reported he’d been threatened by Lovato with a knife, the ruling states.
The officers then followed Lovato, again shined their flashlights on him and ordered him to stop, according to the district attorney’s office.
“The officers gave multiple commands to stop and come talk,” the ruling states.
The officers caught up to Lovato, who had an “industrial-style, box-cutter knife” with the blade extended, according to the district attorney’s office.
When the officers drew their firearms, Lovato started walking toward them and then stopped, police said. One officer was holstering his firearm to use his Taser when Lovato “charged [at the officers] with the knife, yelling and waving and swinging it around,” the ruling states.
“As the officers backpedaled on the sidewalk, Mr. Lovato quickly ran up on them with the knife and closed the distance,” according to the district attorney’s office.
An investigation into the shooting determined Lovato traveled about 13 1/2 feet toward the officers while they backed away and came within a few feet of the officers before one officer fired multiple shots.
The officer who fired the shots declined to be interviewed as part of the investigation, according to the district attorney’s office.
The shooting was determined to be justified based on the testimony of the other UTA officer, who did not fire any shots, as well as interviews with witnesses, surveillance video, and other evidence collected at the scene, the ruling states.
Neither UTA police officer was wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting, according to the district attorney’s office.
Lovato told investigators on Sept. 21, 2022, that “officers were harassing him” and “shot him for no reason” while he was throwing away some garbage, according to the ruling.
On Jan. 19, police responded to Cascades at Riverwalk, 1012 Jordan River Blvd., where Lovato was found unconscious by employees at the heath care facility and later died, according to the district attorney’s office.
A medical doctor at the facility told police Lovato “had many health problems,” the ruling states.
