Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray has ruled that a Saratoga Springs police officer was not legally justified in an October 17, 2024 traffic-stop shooting, setting the stage for a possible criminal case against the officer. Gray detailed his findings in an officer-involved critical incident report dated Jan. 13, 2026, and that report now heads to his office's Executive Team for review on whether criminal charges are warranted.
County attorney's report and conclusion
In a written decision from the Utah County Attorney's Office, Gray stated, "I conclude that Officer Sekona was not legally justified in using deadly force against [Valenzuela]." He wrote that, considering all the circumstances together, officers did not have probable cause to believe that Valenzuela posed an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury at the moment shots were fired.
How investigators say the stop unfolded
Investigators say the encounter started as a simple stop for allegedly illegal window tint, but it escalated once officers learned the driver used multiple aliases and had outstanding warrants, according to FOX13. The OICI timeline and media accounts state that Officer Dean Sekona fired two rounds as Valenzuela’s vehicle began to move away. One round went through the rear driver-side window, struck Valenzuela in the back, and collapsed his left lung. After being hit, Valenzuela abandoned the Mercedes on Redwood Road and ran off on foot before a helicopter crew located him about 20 minutes later.
No weapon found, investigators say
The county's OICI team searched the Mercedes and the path Valenzuela took while fleeing and found no firearm, according to the Utah County Attorney's Office. The report notes that officers had been told Valenzuela was found with a gun under his car seat five years earlier and that the Utah Attorney General’s Office was investigating him for possible drug trafficking. Gray wrote that those details, standing alone, did not make the use of deadly force reasonable at the time of the shooting.
What happens next and the city's response
Gray's report explains that his office's Executive Team will now review the evidence and decide whether it supports filing criminal charges, a process FOX13 reported publicly. In a statement to KSL NewsRadio, Saratoga Springs spokeswoman Annelise Harrison said the city is "fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation" and will "refrain from commenting on specifics" while the county attorney's review is still underway.
Legal implications
Under Utah law, police may use deadly force only in specific situations, such as when deadly force is necessary to keep a suspect from escaping arrest and the officer has probable cause to believe that suspect committed a forcible felony, according to Utah Code § 76-2-404. Applying that standard, Gray concluded that Valenzuela’s decision to drive away reduced, rather than heightened, any immediate threat to officer safety at the time Officer Sekona opened fire.
