Men shot at by Woods Cross officer did not face heavy charges
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FARMINGTON — The cases against two men originally suspected of attempting to kill a Woods Cross police officer did not go far. One was released without charges and the other has pleaded guilty to a reduced theft charge.
After the officer, Joshua Lindsey, fired several shots at a truck carrying the men — who reportedly were spotted acting suspiciously at a used car lot in the early morning hours of Feb. 7 — Lindsey said the men tried to run him down and they were chased into Salt Lake County.
Woods Cross police fired Lindsey in August after an investigation showed the pickup truck driven by Nordahl was backing away, not moving to run him down, when he fired several shots, hitting the truck but not the men. Police Chief Chad Soffe said Lindsey also fired a shot at the truck as it sped away, also a violation of department use of deadly force policy.
And on Sept. 14, the Davis County Attorney’s Office filed two third-degree aggravated assault charges against Lindsey, 39, of Kaysville.
After his arrest in West Valley City, police booked Julian Nordahl, 27, into the Davis County Jail on suspicion of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; second-degree felony counts of auto and firearm theft; plus charges of failing to stop for police, manufacturing burglary tools, reckless driving and failure to remain at the scene of a crash.
Upon screening the case, the Davis County Attorney’s Office charged Nordahl with two second-degree felony theft counts. In a plea bargain Aug. 17, he pleaded guilty to a reduced third-degree attempted theft count and the other was dismissed. The other man in the truck was not charged, according to court records.
Contacted Wednesday, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said he was unaware of the particulars of the case against Nordahl and referred an inquiry to the deputy prosecutor who handled the case, Jason Nelson. Efforts to reach Nelson were not immediately successful.
Nordahl’s attorney, Frank Berardi, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
Lindsey, meanwhile, has an Oct. 18 appearance scheduled in 2nd District Court. He was booked and released from the Davis County Jail this week, having received a summons to appear in court. Nathan Evershed, Lindsey’s attorney, declined to comment Wednesday.