SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill has ruled in two separate officer-involved shootings, finding the actions of the officers involved justified in both incidents.
The first decision was in regard to Unified Police Chief Tracy Wyant, who shot 31-year-old Jared Roskelly after responding to a report of shots fired in Taylorsville.
When he responded on August 1, Wyant said he and another officer observed Roskelly with a gun in a shoulder holster. The individual who called in the report had said Roskelly was high on drugs.
Officers asked Roskelly to put his hands up, and, according to the letter from Gill, Roskelly replied: “Just shoot me.” Then Roskelly reached for his gun, took the gun from the holster and ran toward the officers. Wyant fired his weapon at that time. Roskelly was seriously injured in the shooting but survived. Click here for more details.
Gill also found the actions of West Jordan Police Department officer Ian Adams justified. Adams shot Timothy James Peterson on July 10.
Documents indicate Peterson was wanted on multiple warrants and had made threats toward police on social media. The officer attempted to arrest Peterson on July 10 a few days after a caller had reported Peterson had posted online he was in the Jordan Landing area with a pistol. Among the posts sent by the caller that day was post in which Peterson stated he would, “shoot the cops if they come.”
Peterson fled when officers attempted to arrest him. The officer who shot Peterson said during the chase the suspect turned toward the officer, and the officer thought he had a weapon. Peterson was found to have a piece of metal with a laser attached, and a knife he had apparently thrown away while running was found in the area. Police also found a smaller knife on the man’s person when he was arrested.
Peterson survived the shooting, and earlier his father spoke out about the incident and said he felt the officer who shot his son was not justified.
