Please refer to this page for any and all updates for Gabriel Cota’s civil lawsuit against former Officer Dean Sekona, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department.

My name is David Francis, and I am the lead trial attorney at LifeLaw Trial Lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our firm represents Gabriel Cota in his civil lawsuit against former Officer Dean Sekona and the Saratoga Springs Police Department. The case arises from an officer involved shooting on October 17, 2024, during a traffic stop.

Following an extensive investigation lasting over a year, Jeff Gray of the Utah County Attorney’s Office has concluded the Officer Sekona’s use of deadly force was not justified and amounted to excessive force. The report specifically found that Sekona fired two shots at our clients, and it’s passengers–an unarmed individual–while he was driving away, striking him in the back and causing serious injury, including a collapsed lung.

We invite news outlets that covered the initial incident in October 2024 to publish an updated story. This development offers a timely opportunity to clear Mr. Cota’s name, provide the latest on the ongoing civil case, and contribute to important public discussions about law enforcement accountability, use of force, and officer-involved shootings–issues that remain highly relevant.

I am available for interviews, to answer any questions, or to supply additional details, documents, or materials to support your reporting. Please contact me directly at 801-206-4002 or via email at in**@*****aw.com .

Thank you for considering this story. We value your role in delivering accurate, balanced information to the public on matters of significant community interest.

Best regards,

David Francis, Lead Trial Attorney, LifeLaw Trial Lawyers.

Gabriel Cota was traveling with his girlfriend and her daughter when they were stopped by the police for tinted windows. Gabriel Cota was not able to be identified by the police. After an extensive ID search, police received a tip that Gabriel had a history with a weapon and a possible assault on an officer (later to be unconfirmed). Police then went from conducting a traffic stop to a felony stop/high-risk job. 

Police then told Gabriel to step out of the vehicle and show his hands. Police gave conflicting commands. Gabriel was wearing a seatbelt at the time and was trying to communicate this to the police. Gabriel put his hands out of the vehicle, but was unable to complete the action due to the officer(s) shouting for him to keep his hands out where they could see them.

Gabriel, noticing the police had the guns pointing at their vehicle, Gabriel let the girlfriend’s daughter know that she needed to get down. Then the shots came from officer Sekona. Gabriel was hit in his back/chest and felt himself drowning in his blood.

At the time he was hit, his foot came off the pedal and the car began to roll forward. Due to fear for his family’s life and his own, Gabriel drove away. But shortly after stopped the vehicle. He then ran out of the vehicle to avoid putting his family in further risk of being shot.

The police caught up to where the vehicle was stopped and pulled the girlfriend and the daughter out at gunpoint from the vehicle. Officer Sekona questioned the girlfriend about the whereabouts of Gabriel and hit her with his weapon, but was stopped by a nearby officer from further harm to the girlfriend. Gabriel was then captured after the police conducted a search within the area he ran from.