By Associated Press - Thursday, November 2, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A suburban Salt Lake City police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting and wounding of a teenager in September.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Wednesday Cottonwood Heights police Sgt. Chris McHugh was justified in opening fire because he thought the 17-year-old boy had a gun in his pants.

Medical staff found a loaded .22-caliber revolver in the teen’s underwear after he was taken to the hospital. He underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the stomach and later was released.



Body cam footage also showed officers pull a knife from the teen’s pocket shortly after the shooting.

Gill says he faces criminal charges in juvenile court but didn’t provide any details.

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