The criminal charge against a Salt Lake City firefighter once accused of trying to hide the identity of a man with a felony warrant has been dismissed.
In May 2010, Leonard M. Iversen gave medical help to a man who had a seizure during a felony traffic stop on Interstate 80. Prosecutors charged Iversen, who apparently recognized the man, with misdemeanor obstructing justice for allegedly repeating a false name the man had given troopers.
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Iversen’s defense attorney, however, said it was actually another paramedic who kept repeating the false name, leading to the dismissal in 3rd District Court.
"They thought he was continuing to say the name to try to be convincing and deceive the highway patrolman," attorney Fred Metos said Thursday. "When [prosecutors] interviewed the other paramedic, they realized it wasn’t Iversen using the name."
Investigators determined that Iversen and the man were friends and that Iversen employed him in a snow-removal business he owned, charging documents state.
Later, when Iversen was asked why he didn’t tell the trooper the man’s real name, Iversen said he "didn’t think it was that big of a deal," charging documents state. Iversen also acknowledged it probably wasn’t the right thing to do and said he "would have done things differently if he had the chance to do it over."
The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could potentially refile the charges.
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