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SALT LAKE CITY — The fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man by a Salt Lake City police officer has been determined to be justified by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
On Aug. 13, about 10 p.m., Patrick Harmon was shot and killed by Salt Lake City officer Clinton Fox after Harmon threatened to "cut you" while holding a knife and facing three officers close by, according to a report from the district attorney's office.
Harmon was initially stopped by police for riding his bicycle across six lanes of traffic on State Street near 1000 South and not having a required tail light, the report states. After giving officers several different names, police learned that Harmon had several warrants out for his arrest.
"Officer Fox said Mr. Harmon seemed emotional and distraught. Officer Fox said Mr. Harmon was talking about getting right with God and doing work for God; Officer Fox said Mr. Harmon said he was trying to take care of his arrest warrant. Officer Fox said Mr. Harmon seemed nervous," the report states.
"Harmon pleaded with the officers not to go to jail. The officers took Mr. Harmon's hands and placed them behind his back. As Mr. Harmon’s hands went behind his back, Mr. Harmon bolted from the officers and ran."
At one point, Harmon stopped running and turned around to face the pursuing officers while holding a knife.
Related:
Protesters demand to see footage of fatal shooting in S.L.
Several dozen protesters stood outside the headquarters of Salt Lake police Saturday to demand the public release of body camera footage showing police officers' fatal shooting of 50-year-old Patrick Harmon last month."Fox said Mr. Harmon came at the officers with something in his hand. Officer Fox said he was terrified by how close Mr. Harmon was to the officers when Mr. Harmon stopped and turned towards them," the report states. "Officer Fox said he feared if he didn’t immediately use deadly force, Mr. Harmon was going to stab him and/or the other officers."
Fox fired his weapon three times, the report states.
"Officer Fox said that in 10 years of law enforcement and two military deployments, it was the scariest situation he had ever been in," investigators said.
The officers were wearing body cameras at the time, which Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill used, in part, in making his decision.
