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Utah man sentenced to 1-15 years in prison after admitting to shooting, killing man during verbal argument

Posted at 5:48 PM, Dec 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-02 22:44:35-05

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A suspect who admitted to police that he shot and killed a man who was on a longboard following a verbal argument was sentenced Friday to 1-15 years in prison.

At about 2 p.m. on May 28, 2016, Maluolefale Toala, who was 30 at the time, was riding his longboard on the side of a road when he got into an argument with Aaron Pierce, 26, who was traveling in a pickup truck down the same roadway, West Valley City police said in a statement.

A declaration of probable cause released in court stated that when he was questioned by police, Pierce stated that he was in the passenger’s seat of the car when his brother who was driving made a “yelping” noise as they passed Toala.

Toala caught up to the vehicle on his longboard and yelled at Pierce and his brother while they were stopped at a red light, the declaration said.

Pierce told police that he exited the vehicle and drew his firearm, pointing it at Toala. He then fired one shot, hitting Toala in the chest, the declaration said.

Toala died at the scene.

Pierce stayed on scene and was cooperative with responding officers. He was later arrested and booked in Salt Lake County Jail on a homicide charge.

Court documents state that Pierce was convicted of one count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony. He was sentenced to, ” an indeterminate term of not less than one year nor more than fifteen years in the Utah State Prison.”