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Two Murray police officers who shot a man who brandished a pellet gun at them outside a home last month were justified in using force, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.
Eric Ray Thatcher, 36, threatened to kill the two police officers July 28 after the officers went to Thatcher's home at 475 E. 5980 South to talk to him about a road rage incident from earlier in the day.
As the two officers waited to speak to Thatcher outside his home, one of the officers heard Thatcher shouting death threats, according to a news release from the District Attorney's Office.
One of the officers looked in a basement window of the home to see where Thatcher was yelling from and observed the man carrying a rifle. The officers walked back to their patrol cars and one of them heard Thatcher shout, "I'm going to kill them!" the news release states.
One of the officers turned around and saw Thatcher holding what he believed were two rifles. Thatcher had the weapons pointed at the officers, according to the news release.
Both officers fired shots at Thatcher, who was struck by three bullets.
Police later learned Thatcher was holding pellet guns, according to the news release.
Thatcher survived the shooting, but suffered injuries to his shoulder, wrist, bicep and lower left side, the news release states.
Prosecutors this week charged Thatcher with third-degree felony aggravated assault and
According to charging documents, the road rage incident that led to Thatcher's shooting began as Thatcher drove northbound on Fashion Boulevard. Thatcher slammed on his brakes in front of a vehicle driven by another man.
The other man passed Thatcher and continued driving home. Thatcher, apparently irritated by the man's driving, followed him to his home, charging documents state.
Thatcher pulled into the man's driveway and asked him "what his problem was," according to charging documents. Thatcher then stepped out of his vehicle and told the man he planned to fight and then threatened to kill him. Thatcher then left.
The man called the police and gave authorities Thatcher's license plate, charging documents state.
The two Murray police officers who eventually shot Thatcher tracked him to his home through the license plate number, where the shooting took place shortly after 8:30 p.m.
Thatcher is scheduled for an arraignment before 3rd District Court Judge Vernice Trease on Aug. 11.
Thatcher's brother-in-law, Tony Jessop, told The Salt Lake Tribune in an interview the night of the shooting that Thatcher, who is 6 foot 2 and about 200 pounds, can be an intimidating presence.
But Jessop said his brother-in-law is harmless.
"Eric would never hurt anybody," Jessop said. "He'd probably hurt himself before he hurt anybody else."
Jessop said his brother-in-law has been under stress, which may have led him to make an irrational decision that resulted in police choosing to open fire on him.
He said Thatcher has two children and is self-employed, working with saltwater tanks and aquariums. Thatcher is separated from his wife, Jessop said, a factor that has added stress in his personal life.
