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BOUNTIFUL — Officials have cleared two police officers in the fatal shooting of a man outside his home in July.
Woods Cross police officer Adam Osoro and West Bountiful police officer Trent Wass were justified in using deadly force against William Oakden, 30, according to a letter Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings sent to their departments in November.
The letter was not distributed to the media until the Deseret News requested a copy of it this week.
Shortly after midnight on July 9, officers responded to a mobile home park at 990 N. 500 West and found Oakden covered in blood, holding a knife and threatening to kill himself, police said.
Oakden pulled out an Airsoft gun that was tucked into his waistband and fired it at officers, according to Rawlings' letter. Officers shot him multiple times, and he died at an area hospital a short time later.
Oakden had been charged months before in 2nd District Court with assaulting a police officer. He was found guilty of amended charges of intoxication and damaging a phone.
His death was one of 11 fatal shootings by law enforcement in Utah during 2010.
E-mail: pkoepp@desnews.com
