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The Davis County Attorney's Office on Friday said it had completed its review of a shooting involving a Sunset police officer and ruled his actions were justified.
Officer Chad Campbell had responded to a domestic dispute-related 911 call on the morning of Oct. 8 when he allegedly was confronted by an intoxicated, gun-wielding suspect inside the home at 1086 N. 250 West.
Campbell told investigators that he ordered the man to drop the firearm, but the suspect instead fired a shot into a wall of his home and then — despite repeated commands to disarm — pointed the weapon toward the officer.
Campbell then fired three times through a glass storm door. Multiple shots struck the suspect in the abdomen. The suspect, 42-year-old Juan Carlos Ramirez, initially was in serious condition. He has since been released from the hospital.
Sunset Police Chief Ken Eborn said Friday that Davis County prosecutors earlier had declined to prosecute. However, Sunset Justice Court records showed that the city's prosecutor had filed multiple misdemeanor counts against Ramirez there, including allegations of illegally discharging a firearm, criminal mischief, domestic violence in the presence of a child, intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Ramirez has no previous criminal record beyond a few traffic citations, according to court records.
Police said the 911 call they received had come through the home's alarm system, automatically activated when the suspect smashed a telephone while arguing with his wife.
The woman, and the couple's children, were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but none of them was injured.
In announcing his decision Friday, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said the evidence showed that Campbell's use of potentially deadly force "was proper, justified and consistent with the letter and intent" of the law.
"Therefore, it is my judgment…that we will decline to prosecute Officer Chad Campbell. No crime was committed by him when using his weapon [and] his actions were factually and legally justified," Rawlings said.