SIM GILL

Ralph Chamness

DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Chief Deputy
Civil Division

Jeffrey William Hall
Chief Deputy
Justice Division

Blake Nakamura

Lisa Ashman

Chief Deputy
Justice Division

Administrative
Operations
Civil Division

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2020
Contact: District Attorney Sim Gill- sgill@slco.org or 801.230.1209

Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office Files Charges Against SLCPD K9
Officer
Early this afternoon the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Salt
Lake City Police Officer Nickolas Pearce based on his alleged actions on April 24, 2020. The
charges are:
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, 76-5-103(3) UCA, Second Degree Felony, as follows: That on or
about April 24, 2020, in Salt Lake County, State of Utah, the defendant did (a)(i) attempt, with
unlawful force or violence, to do bodily injury to another;
(ii) threaten, accompanied by a show of immediate force or violence, to do bodily injury to
another; or
(iii) commit an act, with unlawful force or violence, that caused bodily injury to another or
created a substantial risk of bodily injury to another; and
(b)used
(i) a dangerous weapon as defined in Utah Code Section 76-1-601; or
(ii) committed any act that impeded the breathing or the circulation of blood of another person by
the actor's use of unlawful force or violence that is likely to produce a loss of consciousness by:
(A) applying pressure to the neck or throat of the person; or
(B) obstructing the nose, mouth, or airway of a person; or
(iii) other means or force likely to produce death or serious bodily injury; that resulted in serious
bodily injury.

Attached is the probable cause statement that goes into further detail. These are allegations, Mr.
Pearce is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Attachments:
•

Probable Cause Statement

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35 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Telephone 385.468.7700 ∙ Fax 385.468.7800 ∙ www.districtattorney.slco.org