SALT LAKE CITY — No charges will be filed against two Utah Transit Authority officers, one of whom shot a man in September after he ran towards them with a knife.
Although no body camera footage was available from the incident, security camera footage from surrounding buildings as well as two testimonies from civilians who witnessed the entire exchange and an account from one of the officers involved painted a picture of what happened.
The critical incident happened in September 2022 when the officers heard a commotion and saw a fight happening on the corner of 225 West 900 South in Salt Lake City.
When the officers approached the men, they learned one man, Mark Leonard Lovato, had been chasing the other with a knife.
The UTA officers tracked down Lovato and gave "multiple verbal commands to stop and come talk," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill explained at a walk-through of the incident.
"Mr. Lovato did not comply," Gill said. "Rather, Mr. Lovato turned towards the officers and waved his left arm in their direction while holding an object, presumably a knife, in his left hand."
The officers drew their own weapons as they continued to give commands to Lovato to drop the knife, to which he did not comply.
"In that moment, Mr. Lovato charged at them with the knife, yelling and swinging around as the officers back-pedaled on the sidewalk," Gill said. "Mr. Lovato quickly ran up to them with the knife and closed the distance."
One officer then fired his gun "several times" at Lovato.
"Mr. Lovato fell to the ground, having reached within a few feet of the officers," Gill said.
After removing the weapon, the officers rendered emergency medical aid and he was taken to the hospital where he was treated for multiple non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Witnesses told investigators that they heard the officers give commands to drop the knife and also saw Lovato run toward the officer before he was shot.
In addition, a knife with a box-cutter at one end was recovered from the scene.
After reviewing all the evidence, Gill said no charges will be filed against the officers.
"It is not unreasonable for the officer to articulate that their lives were in danger," he explained. "As such, we refuse to file any criminal charges and we conclude that the use of force was reasonable as justified under the affirmative defense statute."
