Layton officer justified in shooting

The Davis County attorney announced Thursday that a Layton police officer acted appropriately when he shot a suspect in March.

County Attorney Troy S. Rawlings said Officer John Lynch was justified in shooting Brian Lane Harris, 22, on March 21 at a mobile home at 935 E. Highway 193 in Layton.

Rawlings said the investigation found that Harris' criminal actions posed a "very real danger of death or injury," according to a letter sent to Layton police Chief Terry Keefe.

Authorities allege that Harris shot his live-in girlfriend, Kayla Lane, 22, in the leg in front of their two young children just before police shot him.

The incident started about 9:40 p.m. when police received a call reporting a woman was screaming loudly in one of the residences at the Quail Ridge Mobile Home Park. As officers headed to the scene, police learned a car had sped away, it appeared the mobile home's door had been kicked in and the man appeared to be throwing things outside.

Officers set up a perimeter and learned that Lane was at a hospital receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. They also learned that the couple's two children, 1 and 3, were still inside the home with Harris.

The officers called Harris out from his home, and he exited carrying no weapons. But he then turned to re-enter the home, police said. One officer shot a Taser at Harris twice, but it didn't stop him. At that point, fearing for the safety of the children inside and wanting to prevent Harris from accessing a weapon, Lynch fired several rounds from a handgun, police said.

Harris has since been charged with felony discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony, aggravated assault and obstructing justice, both third-degree felonies, and misdemeanor charges of failure to stop at command of law enforcement, domestic violence in the presence of a child and obstruction of justice.

jstecklein@sltrib.com

Twitter @sltribjanelle