SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 26, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Body-camera video released Friday by Salt Lake City police shows a man wearing only socks and underwear being chased and then tackled by officers during the final moments of his life.
Nykon Brandon, 35, died Aug. 14 following an altercation with police near 356 W. 700 South that police say also sent two officers to a hospital with “significant injuries.”
Body-camera footage from officers who first responded at 3:16 p.m. to an attempted theft at a business begins with the man running away from officers despite repeated orders to “stop.”
The man, later identified as Brandon, appears poised to fight with officers in the street before he is shoved to the ground. Officers wrestled the man onto his stomach on the side of the road and held him down while handcuffs were applied.
At one point during the altercation, before Brandon is handcuffed, he appears to reach for an officer’s holstered weapon, and another officer warns, “He’s got a hand on your gun.”
At 3:25 p.m., officers reported they had taken the man into custody and were preparing to put him in a “safety restraint device used to protect people from injury when the person is combative,” according to police.
Brandon became unresponsive at 3:27 p.m., and officers began performing medical aid. Officers’ body-camera video ends before first aid is rendered by officers.
Police say officers administered the first of multiple doses of Narcan at 3:28 p.m. and started performing chest compressions. The man was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where he later died, police said.
“When the man was taken into custody, our officers noted that he had become unresponsive, so they started to perform medical, life-saving measures, which included administering naloxone and chest compressions,” Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Mark Wian said at a news conference following the incident.
Wian also said two officers sustained injuries that were “significant” but not life-threatening during the altercation. One officer talks about injuring his knee during the altercation, but no other injuries to officers were apparent in the body-camera footage.
“Our police officers come to work every day to protect our community,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said in a news release. “In the face of great stress, danger and uncertainty, they are trained to remain professional, and show strength and resiliency.
“We are committed to carefully reviewing the investigative findings in this case. As a forward-thinking department, we will use those findings to evaluate our policies, training and procedures to continue ensuring we are making our city safer.”
As part of the department’s officer-involved critical incident protocol, an outside agency is investigating the police response. The department’s internal affairs unit will conduct a separate investigation, according to the news release.
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