Critical Incident Protocol & Findings

Officer-involved critical incidents (OICIs) are defined in Utah Code § 76-2-408 and include police shootings, an officer’s use of a motor vehicle to stop a suspect that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person, and deaths that occur while a person is in law enforcement custody when the death is not the result of disease, natural causes, or a previously diagnosed medical condition.

In Iron County and surrounding jurisdictions, OICIs are investigated by the Iron/Garfield/Beaver/Kane Critical Incident Task Force (CITF). The CITF is comprised of investigators from multiple law enforcement agencies within the region whose agencies were not directly involved in the incident being investigated. This structure helps ensure that the investigation is conducted independently and objectively.

Once the CITF completes its investigation, the investigative materials are submitted to the Iron County Attorney’s Office for review. The County Attorney’s Office conducts a comprehensive and independent evaluation of the evidence. If necessary, the office may request additional investigation, clarification, or supplemental evidence from the CITF investigators. Based upon legally admissible evidence and applicable law, the Iron County Attorney’s Office must ultimately determine whether the officer’s actions were legally justified.

Completed findings for officer-involved critical incidents dating back to 2020 are available in the links below. The Iron County Attorney’s Office strives to publish its findings within 180 days after the investigation is submitted for review. When that timeframe cannot be met, details of the incident will be posted within 180 days of receipt of the investigation, along with an explanation for the delay and an estimated date for the release of the final findings. Once completed, a link to the County Attorney’s written findings and conclusions will be provided.

You may also view our Prosecution Policy (internal page).