District attorney says suspect fired shots before being killed by police

Nearly one year after a deadly police shooting happened near West Jordan , the Salt Lake County District Attorney declined to file charges against the three involved officers.

Aaron Zimmerman, 49, was shot and killed by police on August 24, 2023, in an unincorporated area of Salt Lake County between Kearns and West Jordan.

FOX 13 News previously reported that the incident began as a series of domestic violence calls, the first one beginning at 9 p.m.

When officers initially responded, they handcuffed Zimmerman for a brief period of time and then released him to a friend after determining there was no crime committed, according to DA Sim Gill.

Hours later, three officers again responded to the area because Zimmerman had returned to the home and was "causing trouble" and "being aggressive," Gill explained Wednesday.

While searching for Zimmerman, Gill said they found him hiding behind garbage cans, armed with a small handgun.

In a matter of seconds, Zimmerman and officers exchanged shots and Zimmerman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Body camera video, when slowed down and zoomed in, showed Zimmerman's hand from behind the garbage can, pointing a gun at the officers.

During the investigation, it was discovered Zimmerman fired four shots at one of the officers, tracking her as she took cover behind a car.

"As Sgt. Dawson starts to move, we start to establish a clear tracking by Zimmerman as he's following her pathway and firing at her," Gill said.

In total, officers fired between 18 and 22 shots at Zimmerman, Gill reported.

The three officers involved in the critical incident were placed on leave immediately following the shooting. During an announcement Wednesday, Gill said his office would not file charges in the case.

"It was our conclusion that the use of force and presumption of danger was reasonable for the officers as they perceive danger," he said.