TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Taylorsville police officer is facing a manslaughter charge following a deadly officer-involved shooting last fall.
Investigators say Officer Jimmy Haas shot and killed Henry Chavez Jr. after following Chavez into a parking lot because his truck matched a vehicle that had fled from police earlier that day. When Haas turned on his lights, the truck backed into his patrol car. Haas fired one shot through the rear window of the truck. Police did not find a weapon on Chavez or in his truck.
Gill announced the charge against Haas.
"As a result of this use of force we find that that use of force on that night was unjustified and as I speak to you this morning the Salt Lake County DA's office is filing one count of manslaughter," Gill said.
Haas is currently on paid administrative leave. Taylorsville police said they have confidence in the justice system and believe every person is innocent until proven guilty.
Criminal charges against police officers are rare in Salt Lake County. Several similar cases over the last decade have ended in dismissal of charges.
Bob Sykes, an attorney who has spent decades representing the families of victims of alleged excessive force by police, said the facts of the case did not meet the legal threshold for deadly force.
"That officer was not in immediate danger himself, and others were not in an immediate danger of death or serious injury, and therefore, he should not have used the force, and he should have known that," Sykes said.
Sykes said the possibility that Chavez may have had a gun in the vehicle was not sufficient justification for the shooting.
"Now, the fact that he thought maybe the guy has a gun in the car, that's not enough because he doesn't know that, that's just speculation, you know, and in Utah, everybody could have a gun. I mean, you know, a lot of people have guns in their car and it's legal, but just because they have a gun in the car and could maybe pull it out and start firing does not, not, not give you the right to use deadly force as an officer," Sykes said.
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