Lehi police officers involved in the shooting of one of their former colleagues were justified in their use of deadly force and will face no criminal charges, Utah County Attorney Kay Bryson has announced.
The Utah County officer-involved shooting protocol team, coordinated by the county attorney's office, had been investigating the Jan. 27 shooting of former Lehi police officer Art Henderson, 38. Bryson's office released those findings Tuesday.
"Our purpose has always been to make certain that when an officer uses deadly force against a citizen — whether that citizen is killed or not — that the use of deadly force is justified under the law," Bryson said.
According to the report, Henderson was on his way to the home of his estranged wife, Natalie Barnes Henderson, 37, when he saw the woman's car. Natalie's boyfriend, Craig Trimble, 35, was driving the car, and she was in the front passenger seat.
As Natalie's car passed Henderson's truck, he fired a .45-caliber handgun at the car, striking it once, according to the report. Henderson then pursued the car and fired the gun again. The shot missed Natalie's car but hit another vehicle, traveling through a back-seat headrest only inches from a small child.
Henderson then rammed Natalie's car, bringing it to a stop, the report said. He fired a third round that hit Trimble, then got out of the truck and fired three more shots — two of them hitting Trimble.
Henderson had returned to his truck to reload the handgun and grab a .17-caliber rifle when Lehi police officer Alma Owen arrived at the scene, according to the report.
Owen stopped his vehicle about a half-block away from Henderson near 950 W. 1500 North after the former officer fired the rifle at the police vehicle, hitting the windshield. Owen backed up and pulled around a corner to get out of the line of fire, according to the report.
Officers Tim Hunsaker and David Boss then arrived and were greeted by Henderson with two rifle shots in their direction. One of those rounds grazed Boss' boot, the report said.
The officers returned fire with Boss firing two shots from his .40-caliber service handgun and Hunsaker four rounds from his 12-gauge shotgun, according to the report.
Henderson was hit by the buckshot, which motivated him to put down his weapon and surrender, the report said.
The officers knew Henderson had fired shots prior to their arrival and that at least one person had sustained a gunshot wound as a result, according to the report. The fact that they were fired upon also justified the use of deadly force, the report concluded.
"The officers were effecting an arrest and preventing the escape of a suspect who had committed a felony offense (of attempted murder) . . . and had reasonable and probable cause to believe the suspect posed a threat of death or serious bodily injury to themselves or others if apprehension was delayed," according to the report.
Henderson faces five charges of attempted aggravated murder and one charge each of aggravated assault and criminal mischief, as well as three counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm. He is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail on $250,000 cash-only bail.
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