SALT LAKE CITY -- Several blocks of Salt Lake City came to a standstill on the night of Sept. 27th as Anthony Mayhew threatened to detonate a bomb.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said police gave Mayhew a specific area to stay in. Gill says despite warnings, Mayhew walked out of the area and a police officer shot and killed him.
(Read the DA's report by scrolling below).
Mayhew, 39, was at the downtown Gallivan Center TRAX station and told police he had a bomb in his backpack and threatened to detonate the device. That is when Salt Lake City Police and SWAT teams descended on the area. (View previous stories CLICK HERE)
An officer talked with Mayhew for several hours, but eventually Mayhew became despondent and started walking toward the officer. Police say he was warned before the fatal shot rang out.
The shot was fired by Salt Lake City Police officer Alma Sweeny.
On Thursday, District Attorney Sim Gill said because of concerns for police officers and the public, the officer who fired the shot was justified.
"There was a parameter that they could not let the suspect breach and as he moved toward the breach of that, they [police] exercised the appropriate force out of safety concerns for the community and the danger that the suspect presented," said Gill.
An investigation report released by the district attorney's office details the parameters outlined to Mayhew as well as his last words before being shot.
Read the Investigation of Officer Alma Sweeny's Use of Deadly Force by clicking the highlighted text.
