This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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 Murray police officer was justified in shooting a man who was suspected in a burglary and allegedly pointed a pellet gun at the officer, prosecutors announced Monday.
The shooting occurred Aug. 9, when someone called 911 to report that a man had broken into a trailer in her neighborhood and was at Southwood Park in Murray, according to a report by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
Officer Jimmy Haas went to the park and met with the caller who said she saw the man go into the park restroom carrying a coat and another object, Gill wrote. Haas confronted the man, later identified as 46-year-old Joby Romano, as he left the restroom. When Haas said he had a few questions for Romano, Romano lifted his shirt and pulled what appeared to be a black handgun out of his waistband, Gill wrote.
Haas said Romano pointed the gun at Haas' face as Haas raised his own gun at Romano, Gill wrote. Haas said he tried to shoot Romano but the gun wouldn't fire; he fixed the gun while Romano "continued to point his weapon at Officer Haas," Gill wrote.
Romano then turned and ran, looking back and pointing his gun at Haas, Gill wrote. Romano stopped and pointed the gun again at Haas, Gill wrote; Haas fired one shot at Romano, who dropped the gun and fell onto his stomach.
Investigators later discovered Romano's gun was a pellet gun.
Romano survived the shooting. He was charged with second-degree felony burglary, second-degree felony assault on a peace officer and third-degree felony theft.
Gill deemed the shooting legally justified, writing that "Mr. Romano's apparent imminent, unlawful threat of death or serious bodily injury to Officer Haas made Officer Haas' belief that deadly force was necessary ... reasonable."