SALT LAKE CITY – The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has ruled that an officer who shot and killed a man during an encounter in Magna in October was legally justified in his use of deadly force.
The shooting occurred October 25 in the area of 84000 West and 3500 South in Magna after police responded to a report of a man threatening suicide.
District Attorney Sim Gill said in a letter that Unified Police Department Officer Berdaguer used his weapon after the man refused to drop a knife and, “then ran full speed directly at Officer Berdaguer with the knife still in his hands.”
The letter stated that the suspect was covered in blood and had been hurting himself. The man did not respond to commands from the officer to drop the knife, and the officer stated he feared for his life and thought the man was “crazy.”
When the officer responded in October, he found 39-year-old Luis Quintana of Magna using knife to cut himself in the middle of the road, and police said the man ultimately charged at officers.
“The officer got out, began issuing challenges to that subject,” said Lt. Justin Hoyal of the Unified Police Department in October. “Those challenges actually came across our police radio, other officers heard that, other officers were responding to help. At this point in time, the subject came at our officer. He charged at him and ultimately forced our officer to have to fire and shoot.”
Click here for more details about the shooting and an interview with one of Quintana’s friends.
