HEBER CITY, Utah — Five members of the Heber City Council chose not to name the city’s Public Safety Building after Chief Dave Booth, who plans to retire at the end of this month.
The idea originally came from Mayor Heidi Franco, who wanted to thank Booth for his hard work and dedication.
Booth was reported by his own officers for excessive use of force in 2021 for placing his hands on a handcuffed suspect’s throat while struggling to get the suspect into the back of a police car.
The city hired Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby, a known friend of Booth, to lead the investigation.
Booth was cleared of all wrongdoing, but Rigby ended up losing out on a powerful state position because of the questionable methods he chose in conducting the investigation.
Two officers alleged retaliation, and the city spent thousands of dollars settling the case.
The city tried and failed to hide the settlement and body camera video of the incident from FOX 13 News.
It's unclear how much of a factor the case played in the Heber City Council’s decision. Many councilmembers were complimentary of Booth’s service to the city, but they said naming the Public Safety Building after him would be “entering uncharted territory.”
Nick Lopez, a firefighter and marine who lives in Heber City, said an honor of that magnitude is usually reserved for an officer who did something truly heroic – like dying in the line of duty or stopping a school shooter.
“Chief Booth did his job,” Lopez said. “Nothing more or less than any of his predecessors. All of the former chiefs have played a part in the professional development of HCPD.”
Lopez said he believes Booth has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately, which overshadows some of the positives he brought to Heber City.
“I think there’s been a lot of deception and a lot of secrets behind this whole fiasco that he’s got himself into,” Lopez said. “Putting your hands on a handcuffed suspect’s throat is out of line, in my opinion.”
Prior to making the decision, Heber City took comments from the public.
One man applauded Booth for being “very empathetic, compassionate, and dedicated to public safety.”
Rather than naming the building after Booth, the Heber City Council chose to create a bronze plaque in his honor that will be displayed at the Public Safety Building.
It could cost up to $8,000.
Mayor Franco was unhappy. She said she felt disrespected by the Heber City Council’s decision.
“We’re the ones that damaged Chief Booth’s reputation with the actions that the city took, and we’re the ones to restore his reputation,” Franco said.
The meeting ended with strong comments from council members opposing Franco’s ethics and dignity.
Franco tried and failed to adjourn the meeting before allowing Heber City Councilmember Rachel Kahler to finish her comments in opposition of Franco.
Booth was one of the subjects of a 30-minute special that ran last night, FOX 13 Investigates: Policing the Police.