Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Salt Lake County district attorney's office says that two fatal shootings by officers were lawful.
Wade Russell Pennington was shot and killed by a South Jordan police officer in May after he allegedly fled from police.
The district attorney's office says that once Pennington was cornered in his SUV and within 2 feet of an officer's car, he lunged out his window toward the officer, who fired two rounds at Pennington.
The district attorney's office on Thursday also ruled as justified an officer-involved shooting on June 26 that resulted in the death of George Deray Huntzinger.
The office says Huntzinger had already fired a shotgun before he raised the weapon from an apartment balcony in the direction of two officers from the Salt Lake County sheriff's office who were below.
One of the officers fired a round, hitting Huntzinger in the head.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
