TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — The Salt Lake County District Attorney announced on Friday the actions of a Taylorsville police officer during a gunfire exchange in November 2021 are justified.

Although the shots Cameron fired did not hit Rehn, the officer-involved incident was still subjected to investigation by the West Jordan Police Department.

On Nov. 4, 2021, Aaron Troy Michael Rehn, 29, shot himself following an exchange of gunfire with a Taylorsville police officer, Benjamin Cameron, at a Speedway gas station located at 2105 West 4700 South around 4:30 a.m.

Rehn fled on foot after shooting at Cameron, prompting a massive manhunt that lasted for several hours. The search came to an end around 7:30 a.m. when the Department of Public Safety’s helicopter crew was able to help officers locate Rehn in a residential neighborhood.

“Based on the information that we have, it is our conclusion that this was a lawful use of force and, as such, we will not be filing any criminal charges,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sam Gill.

The investigation by West Jordan Police Department revealed the following facts about the incident:

On Nov. 4, Cameron noticed a man, later identified as Rehn, acting suspiciously at the Speedway gas station. The officer went to speak with a man with whom he had seen Rehn interacting while another officer came to assist with the investigation.

While Cameron was speaking with the gas station clerk, Rehn disappeared and was later found hiding behind a pine tree. Cameron reportedly told him, “Come on here, bud. I see you behind the tree.” But Rehn did not respond, leading the officer to report over the radio that he was non-compliant.

Rehn then began to fire his weapon toward Cameron after he scaled a fence that was behind the pine trees. Cameron ran away from the gunfire and along the street on 4700 South. While he was running, the officer said he started shooting back at the “muzzled flashes” coming from behind the pine trees.

“I was getting shot at, felt like I was going to die,” Cameron said when interviewed, adding that he believed Rehn was “out to kill him.”

The district attorney says investigators believe Rehn fired eight times while Cameron fired five times during the incident.

After the manhunt, Taylorsville police commended a sixth-grader, Lucas Mann, who reportedly spotted Rehn from the window while he was getting ready for school.

At around 7 a.m., Mann went into the basement of his Taylorsville home as part of his getting ready-for-school routine. That’s when police say Mann spotted Rehn hiding in a window well. The boy told his parents, who called 911.

“The bravery of young Lucas made all the difference in resolving this case,” said Chief Brady Cottam. “His quick thinking and calm response are remarkable. We are so grateful to him and his family.”