Ogden officers ruled justified in punching man; family plans to sue

OGDEN, Utah — The Ogden Police Department has ruled its officers were justified in a use-of-force case and are explaining the full situation that led two officers to punch a man as he lay on the ground. The arrest got attention after a bystander posted video showing the repeated punches, causing concern among some community members.

The mother of that man now says she plans to file a lawsuit against the department for excessive use of force.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Ogden Police Chief Eric Young walked step-by-step through what unfolded Saturday evening when officers stopped Shawn Sims as he walked on the roadway of Washington Boulevard, along the edge of the lane on the white line. He also showed body camera footage from two of the four officers who responded.

“Get on the ground! Get on the ground!” one officer yelled as he approached Sims.

Sims had taken off and was running across the street at the time.

“Mr. Sims withdrew his hand from his waistband and pushed it out under his shirt in this manner as if he was pointing a gun at the police officers underneath his shirt,” Young said.

Please see Lauren Steinbrecher’s full report at KSLTV.com.