Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office files charges against Adult Probation and Parole Agent

Today, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, filed an Aggravated Assault charge against Utah Department of Corrections Adult Probation and Parole Agent Andrew O’Gwin for the May 13, 2017 shooting of Joseph Alvin Gomez in Murray, Utah. As outlined in more detail in the attached Statement of Probable Cause, it is alleged that Mr. Gomez got out of a car stopped next to O’Gwin at a red light.  O’Gwin fired at Gomez five times, hitting him three times.  Gomez survived his injuries.

The District Attorney’s Office charged O’Gwin with Aggravated Assault, a Second Degree felony, which carries a maximum possible punishment of up to fifteen years in prison. 

The District Attorney’s Office also released a letter containing its findings from its independent review of an Officer-Involved Critical Incident (OICI) protocol investigation into O’Gwin’s use of deadly force. The OICI protocol investigation team is comprised of law enforcement personnel of several police departments in Salt Lake County; this team was led by law enforcement officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department working with an investigation from the District Attorney’s Office. The letter, previously delivered to Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Rollin Cook and Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, outlines the District Attorney’s analysis and conclusion that O’Gwin’s use of deadly force was not legally “justified” under Utah State law and does not afford him the legal defense of “justification.”

All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.