Suspect arrested for road rage in Clearfield and charged with murder

CLEAR FIELD — A West Point man has been charged with murder in connection with a fatal road rage incident in Clearfield earlier this month.

Justin Kent Doman, 34, was arrested Thursday morning after a weeks-long investigation, Clearfield Police Chief Kelly Bennett told KSL TV.

Doman is accused of shooting 63-year-old West Point resident James Edward Saccato on June 3 following a road rage incident across Clearfield.

According to charging documents, Doman was driving on State Route 193 when Saccato — who was driving a Chevrolet Silverado — cut him off. Prosecutors said Doman gave Saccato the middle finger, causing Saccato to slam on his brakes several times.

After Saccato slammed on the brakes again, Doman drove into him and called 911, according to prosecutors.

“During the phone call,” prosecutors said, “he admitted to hitting the victim again.”

Doman then turned around and sped after Saccato, prosecutors said. Eventually, Saccato stopped in a neighborhood in Clearfield and approached Doman’s vehicle.

“The witnesses said the victim bent down to talk to the driver,” prosecutors said, “and then they immediately saw the victim fall back and heard a single gunshot.”

Saccato died from his injuries. Prosecutors said Doman knew the victim was unarmed, but he felt Saccato was trying to disarm him, so he shot him in the chest.

However, according to the prosecution, none of the witnesses present nearby testified that Saccato ever touched Doman or tried to disarm him.

Ultimately, according to prosecutors, Doman was “the aggressor in this series of events that led to the victim’s death.”

Doman’s arrest came the same day that police officers from across Utah held a press conference to highlight growing concerns about road rage and to highlight a new law soon to go into effect to address the problem.

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, calls to the dispatch center regarding road rage have increased 32% since 2020.

Clearfield Police Chief Bennett said drivers should take note of vehicle information during a DUI incident, but they should not engage or pursue the other vehicle.

“You never know what’s going to happen when you approach someone,” Bennett said. “Just like in this incident, someone died.”

When asked whether Doman’s actions could have been self-defense, Bennett denied it.

“Based on the information we have received, we do not believe this was self-defense,” he said. “We are confident this case will be prosecuted.”

Prosecutors have requested that Doman be held without bail. No attorney had been appointed for Doman as of early Thursday afternoon.