This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A police officer was justified when he shot and killed Jeffrey R. Nielson, who started fighting with officers and grabbed a knife after his handcuffs were removed, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.

A report released Friday says it was reasonable for Officer Jason Vincent, of the West Valley City Police Department, to believe his life and the lives of three other officers were in danger and that deadly force was necessary.

According to the report, Vincent — who was on his way to work Jan. 14 when he encountered Nielson in Draper —saw Nielson slumped over the steering wheel of an SUV and stopped to investigate. During a discussion between the two, Nielson told Vincent he had a knife in the glove box, the report says.

The officer said he saw Nielson had drug paraphernalia in his hand, believed he might be impaired and called the Draper Police Department for help.

A Draper officer and a sergeant came to assist. A West Valley City police sergeant also happened upon the scene on her way home from work.

After Q, a Draper police dog, alerted on Nielson's vehicle, a search was conducted and what appeared to be crack cocaine was found, the report says.

Nielson was arrested and handcuffed by the Draper sergeant, the report says. After Vincent said he would transport Nielson to jail and the Draper officer said he would handle the vehicle impound, they decided to switch handcuffs.

The report says that as the first pair of handcuffs was being removed, Nielson — who had been cooperative up until then — ran to his SUV, got into the vehicle and put it in drive. The four officers wrestled Nielson partially out of the SUV and the fight continued in the driver's area and just outside the driver's door.

The West Valley City sergeant said she tried to use her Taser, but its prongs couldn't penetrate Nielsen's clothing.

Vincent said he saw a knife in Nielson's hand and that it looked like he was making stabbing movements at the officers.

Vincent fired his weapon five times and all five shots hit Nielson, who was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report.

The report notes that the fight took place "in very close quarters" and the officers tried to use less-lethal force to get Nielson under control.

"But after Mr. Nielson made stabbing motions with his knife, it was reasonable for Officer Vincent to believe that Mr. Nielson was attempting to or would kill or cause serious bodily injury to the officers," the report says. "It was therefore reasonable for Officer Vincent to believe that deadly force was necessary to prevent the officers' death or serious bodily injury as a result of Mr. Nielson's imminent use of unlawful force against them."

pmanson@sltrib.com

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC