Officer cleared in shooting of man with gun at LDS temple on Christmas Day

SOUTH JORDAN — The Salt Lake City District Attorneys office on Wednesday cleared an officer of any wrongdoing after shooting a man with a gun at the LDS Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Christmas Day.

According to a letter from the district attorney's office, South Jordan Police encountered 54-year-old Daniel Pogue after receiving multiple reports that a man on the temple grounds had been "acting erratically" and "was armed with a 12-gauge pump shotgun and was threatening people."

Pogue reportedly disobeyed officer's commands to drop the weapon and get on the ground for more than a minute and instead grabbed his gun and ran toward three bystanders.

Fearing for their safety, an officer fired at Pogue, hitting him with one fatal shot in the torso.

Officers later discovered Pogue had a machete and ammunition on his person, and several other rifles and swords were found on the ground near Pogue's vehicle, which was parked near the gates of the temple.

The officer has been cleared in the shooting and has returned to work following the district attorney's independent investigation of the incident.

— Wendy Leonard