SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s highest court has upheld an off-duty officer’s conviction for brandishing his service gun after a hunter fired shots near his group, a decision his attorney says could affect police across Utah even while they’re on the clock.

The Utah Supreme Court in a Tuesday written opinion declined to order a new trial for Lance Bess, a onetime Unified police officer. The court rejected several arguments from Bess, including that jurors received improper instructions in the case.

“This decision, I think, is going to make officers a bit more cautious about responding to dangerous situations,” said Paul Cassell, an attorney for Bess. “And that’s the…