A California resident, Gabriel Omar Gigena, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being convicted of assaulting a federal officer. The sentencing took place before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart in Salt Lake City. In addition to the prison term, Gigena will serve three years of supervised release.
Court records show that on May 4, 2024, two task force officers with the United States Marshal Service attempted to apprehend Gigena at a park in Park City, Utah. Their objective included securing his twin three-year-old daughters and ensuring public safety. Due to security concerns, law enforcement moved quickly, leading officers to charge and tackle Gigena. During the incident, one officer pushed Gigena’s hands away from the children. As they fell to the ground, Gigena placed the officer in a choke hold and began strangling him.
“Gigena is a danger to the public and to law enforcement across the country. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has zero tolerance to those who threaten public servants,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Gigena engaged in very serious and violent conduct against a law enforcement officer, and that is unacceptable. No one is above the law, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute crimes of this nature.”
“This case is a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement faces every day in service to our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Violence against civil servants will not be tolerated. The FBI is committed to ensuring justice is served.”
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and J. Drew Yeates prosecuted it.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates efforts among different levels of law enforcement and communities with goals such as reducing violent crime and gun violence nationwide through focused strategies and community partnerships (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
