Charges Dismissed Against San Juan County Sheriff and Deputies

A Utah judge has dismissed all charges against the sheriff of San Juan County, Utah and two of his deputies. The San Juan Record reportsthat Judge George Harmond dropped the charges in a decision on November 15th. The Utah Attorney General had charged the officers with multiple crimes, the most serious against the Sheriff for retaliation against a witness and reckless endangerment. They had stemmed from allegations by a former employee that the Sheriff had pointed an unloaded gun at him and pulled the trigger while deputies looked on. But in his statement, the judge said simply pointing a weapon “cannot create a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury without proof that the firearm was loaded and capable of discharging.” He also dismissed the other charges due to a lack of evidence. A spokesperson for the Utah Attorney General’s office says they are considering whether to appeal the case.