Prosecutors and defense attorneys both agree the armed protest volunteer accused of shooting and killing an innocent bystander in Salt Lake City in June was trying to neutralize what he thought was a threat. They disagree on whether what he did was a crime.
The case got underway Tuesday as Matthew Scott Alder, 43, appeared in court for the first time to answer a charge of manslaughter, more than seven months after the shooting.
Prosecutors say he was aiming at a man carrying a rifle when he mistakenly shot Arthur “Afa” Ah Loo at the No Kings protest on June 14. They allege Alder committed a crime with one “reckless” shot that hit Ah Loo, of three total.
Alder, wearing a gray suit, stood quietly in court Tuesday during the brief hearing, lasting less than three minutes. He did not respond to a request for comment from Utah News Dispatch as he left the courthouse…