Man who grabbed Sandy officer’s gun and fired it in 2021, sentenced to 9 years in prison
Feb 7, 2024, 1:37 PM | Updated: 1:39 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man who grabbed a gun from a Sandy police officer and shot it during an arrest in 2021 is headed to prison.
On Jan. 16, Brandon Keith Thompson, 43, was sentenced to over nine years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release after a federal grand jury found him guilty of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On July 8, 2021, an alarm was set off at a Sandy AT&T store on 11316 S. State when Thompson removed a security device from an Apple Watch. According to court documents, when store employees questioned Thompson about the alarm, they noticed a second Apple Watch missing and called the police.
When Sandy police officers arrived, Thompson fled the store, and two officers chased him to the parking lot while giving commands to stop and attempted to physically detain him.
Thompson running from Sandy police officers in the parking lot. (The Sandy Police Department)
“Thompson grabbed an officer’s firearm, which was holstered, and pulled on it with such force that the firearm began to move up out of the holster,” stated a United States Attorney’s Office press release.
A retired police officer noticed the struggle and ran over to help officers to detain Thompson.
According to court documents, Thompson placed his finger on the firearm’s trigger and fired the weapon as it was partially holstered. Thompson kept his grip on the gun and continued to pull on it as the officers attempted to control Thompson.
Thompson grabbing hold of the officer’s gun during the struggle. (The Sandy Police Department)
In body camera footage obtained by KSL TV, an officer used a Taser on Thompson twice to detain him. After the shocks, officers were able to restrain Thompson and bring him to the ground.
Footage shows Thompson repeatedly claiming that the officer was the one who tried to shoot him, denying he grabbed the gun and ran because the Sandy police officer grabbed him in the store for no reason.
The fired bullet struck the ground but almost hit the officers, according to the press release. Court documents state the missing Apple Watch was found in a drawer next to where Thompson was standing.
Officers and Thompson struggling on the ground for possession of the firearm. (The Sandy Police Department)
Court records show this is Thompson’s third federal conviction for possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon. Thompson has filed to appeal the federal charge.
On Monday, Thompson pleaded guilty to a class-a misdemeanor charge of failing to stop at the command of a police officer during a domestic situation in February 2021 and a third-degree felony burglary charge that happened in June 2021.
Court records show Thompson still faces multiple other charges from cases in 2020 to 2021, including an assault case, two other cases of failing to stop at the command of a police officer, and shoplifting.
