SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — A former Saratoga Springs police officer is now facing charges months after the Utah County Attorney's Office determined his decision to shoot at a suspect fleeing a scene was not justified.
Deak William Sekona, 34, was charged Friday with Aggravated Assault with Serious Bodily Injury and two counts of Reckless Endangerment.
In February, Sekona's actions during an October 2024 incident were ruled unjustified.
Sekona had pulled over the suspect in a traffic stop after spotting a vehicle he believed had window tint that was illegal. During the stop, officers learned that the suspect was being investigated for drug trafficking and was known to carry weapons.
The suspect also told Sekona that he did not have a driver's license or any form of legal ID, and his girlfriend — who owned the car and was with him in the vehicle — had a suspended license.
Upon learning about the suspect's background, Sekona shouted "Get out of the car" and "Get your hands up" to the suspect and his girlfriend. After ordering the people out of the vehicle, the brake lights disengaged, and the car began rolling forward, leading Sekona to fire two shots at the driver.
After suffering a gunshot wound to the lung, the suspect abandoned the car and fled on foot before he was taken into custody and hospitalized.
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said Sekona was not justified "in using deadly force" against the suspect. He wrote that the circumstances did not meet the threshold for using deadly force — even if the officers believed the suspect could be armed.
