Salt Lake County prosecutors said Friday that six officers were legally justified in shooting and killing a 17-year-old who traded gunfire with police in South Jordan. The ruling stems from a Jan. 3, 2025, confrontation that began with a call about a possible car burglary and ended when officers found the teen during a multi-agency search. The teen, identified in the report only by the initials C.H., died at the scene from his wounds.
Prosecutors release findings
According to KSL, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's office concluded that the officers were legally justified in returning fire after the teen shot at pursuing officers. Gill held a news conference on March 13 to walk through the investigation and the evidence his office reviewed. The DA's report finds that the officers' use of deadly force met the legal standard for justification under Utah law.
How the search unfolded
Local coverage reported that officers first responded to a call about a possible car burglary near 9400 South and 4600 West, then later found a man inside a parked vehicle near 9500 South and 5400 West. When the man ran, officers deployed K-9 Oli and called in air support. A helicopter crew soon spotted the teen behind a shed in a nearby Daybreak neighborhood, which brought officers racing into the area. Early local accounts of the incident are summarized in a Hoodline story that first reported the police pursuit and backyard confrontation.
Where shots were fired and who fired them
Per KSL, officers entered the property at 9490 Loch Awe Drive and ordered the teen to drop his weapon. Instead, he jumped a fence and ran into another backyard. At the southwest corner of that residence, the teen raised a handgun toward officers and was hit by a West Jordan Sgt. McMullin and Murray officer Benjamin Gregoire opened fire. The teen fell and dropped the handgun after being struck. The DA's report names South Jordan officers Aaron Bass and Jesse Hooper, West Jordan Sgt. McMullin, Murray, Officer Benjamin Gregoire, Herriman officer Natalie Chinea, and South Salt Lake officer Christian Medel as the six officers whose actions were found to be legally justified.
Legal takeaways
Utah's justification statute explains that deadly force is permitted only when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury, which is the legal standard prosecutors apply in these reviews. For background, see Utah Code § 76-2-402. A DA finding that officers were "legally justified" typically means prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges stemming from the use of force, although families can still bring civil claims and communities often continue to press for policy or training changes after fatal encounters.
The DA's news conference capped a lengthy officer-involved critical-incident review. This story will be updated with statements from family members, the involved departments, or the DA's office as they become available.
