This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A federal judge sent to prison a man who was shot by West Valley City police after pointing a gun at officers.
U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish sentenced Ricardo J. Lopez to prison for 2½ years after his guilty plea to a charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Parrish also placed Lopez on three years of supervised release after he finishes his sentence during which he is not to have any contact with gang members.
Lopez was shot on March 1 after officers arrived at his home following reports of a fight that had been preceded by gunfire.
West Valley City Detective Jason Vincent told investigators he saw Lopez come upstairs from the basement of the home carrying a handgun, according to an investigation by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Vincent ordered Lopez to drop the handgun, but Lopez instead turned toward Vincent and raised the weapon.
The officer fired two rounds, and Lopez was hit by a single bullet and fell to the ground.
The investigation found Vincent was justified in firing at Lopez.
According to court records, Lopez — a documented gang member — went to prison in 2008 for third-degree felony convictions of attempting to receive or transfer a stolen vehicle and failure to stop at command of police.