Off duty Sheriff's deputy shoots man in SLC bar

lobster · **Posted:** Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:45 am

An off-duty Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy shot a man during a brawl in a Salt Lake City bar early Saturday, police said.

The man, who is in his late 20s, was shot once in the chest, and his injuries are not considered life-threatening, said Salt Lake City police Detective Dennis McGowan.

The shot came about 1:30 a.m. during a fight that involved 10 to 15 people at Green Street Social Club, 602 E. 500 South, McGowan said.

The deputy was at the bar with a family party, and some of the members of his party were also involved in the fight. The deputy drew a concealed pistol and fired one shot. The victim was taken to an area hospital in serious condition.

One other man was seriously injured in the fight and taken to an area hospital, and other patrons suffered minor injuries. No one was arrested.

The deputy's name was not released, but Salt Lake County sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson described him as a veteran officer with more than 10 years of experience.

McGowan said police are not sure why the deputy fired, and that he was not arrested.

"Who knows what the justification was and what the other factors were. They are under investigation. We just don't know," he said. "A normal guy in a bar also gets the benefit of an investigation as well before he's arrested."

Officer-involved shooting protocol calls for "a battery" of interviews and for the officer to surrender his weapon, though McGowan wasn't sure
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whether the deputy had turned in his gun Saturday morning.

Salt Lake City police were still investigating Saturday how the fight started, whether the deputy was involved before he fired the shot, what prompted him to fire and whether the weapon was a personal gun.

The officer is now on paid leave, pending the investigation by Salt Lake City police, as per department protocol. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office also will investigate.

Green Street general manager Rip Ripley declined to comment on the fight or how the gun was brought into the bar, citing the ongoing investigation.

"We take the security of our guests and staff very seriously," he said.

I like the comment in bold. Anyone who buys into that crap, I have a bridge for sale......

I'm wondering how this will turn out.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_13376742