SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 27, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski on Sunday afternoon reacted to the unexpected events of Saturday night ─ which included the officer-involved shooting of a 17-year-old male, the start of a police investigation on what transpired, and witnesses polarized enough to riot against the 100 or so officers who responded to the call for law enforcement help.
Media reports say the teen underwent surgery for three gunshot wounds, and on Sunday afternoon remained in a coma. The Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed on Sunday that the shooting victim was in critical condition.
“Like many in our community, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the events that took place in downtown Salt Lake City last night,” Biskupski said, in a prepared statement.
“While the shooting is still under investigation, there is no doubt what happened is a tragedy for all involved and for our entire city. The use of force by law enforcement against the public can tear at the delicate balance of trust between both sides, and must be taken extremely seriously.”
The mayor said the incident created questions that would need to be addressed. Biskupski said she had spoken hours earlier with Chief Mike Brown, of the Salt Lake City Police Department, the agency with officers involved in the shooting.
Biskuspki said she requested that Brown, “… reach out to members of the young man’s family, as well as meet personally with members of the police reform community as soon as possible.”
Biskupski noted Saturday’s incident was, “… the third significant use of force incident for the Salt Lake City Police Department in the last month.” Her talk with Brown included, “… a discussion on training and whether de-escalation efforts could have been implemented,” she said.
Brown commented in a SLCPD statement released later Sunday afternoon.
“We are committed, to ensuring the Salt Lake City Police Department does business appropriately, in line with the community’s trust and expectations,” Brown said. “Our goal is to always de-escalate any type of volatile situation using the minimal amount of force necessary.”
Brown also said the teen’s name would not be released due to his age, and existing body camera footage would be held back to ensure the teen suspect got a fair trial, should a trial be ordered.
The statements were released less than 24 hours after the incident that inspired them. At 8 p.m. Saturday, the teenager was shot after two officers approached him in an area near 210 S. Rio Grande, close to The Road Home homeless center.
According to witness reports, the teen was holding part of a broomstick and arguing with another person. Officers told the male to drop the stick, witnesses say, and fired as he turned to face them.
The SLPD statement differed with regards to the weapon.
“… officers witnessed two males with metal objects attacking a male victim,” the statement said.
“Officers confronted the two suspects and ordered them to drop the weapons. One of the males complied and dropped the weapon, the other continued to advance on the victim and was shot by officers.”
Angry bystanders responded immediately, throwing rocks and bottles, shouting obscenities and confronting the two officers.
The SLPD statement describes it like this:
“Immediately following the shooting, a crowd gathered and became hostile toward the officers — some throwing rocks and bottles. To ensure the safety of all present, the arriving medical personnel, and preservation of the crime scene, officers began asking the crowd to evacuate the area. Numerous individuals failed to comply with this request and crowd control was initiated by SLCPD.
“The crowd was dispersed swiftly and the area was cleared so the investigation could be conducted. As a result of the hostile crowd, four suspects were arrested for crimes related to civil disorder.”
After the shooting, a woman who told police the man who’d been shot was her boyfriend knelt on the sidewalk, comforting a little boy who asked, “Is he dead?”
Agencies that responded to the two officers’ call for assistance including the Salt Lake City Police, Unified Police, Sandy City Police, Utah Highway Patrol, University Police and West Valley Police.
Police carrying riot shields made their way to the shooting site. Police officials were able to clear a path for the two officers involved to leave, and for an ambulance to enter the area to pick up the shooting victim.
Det. Greg Wilking, of the Salt Lake City Police Department, said Saturday night he could not confirm the number of officers who fired shots. The wording of the Sunday police statement seemed to indicate both officers were involved when it stated the suspect “… was shot by officers.”
Both officers have been placed on routine administrative leave, the SLPD statement said.
Selam Mohammad, 19, told reporters on the scene Saturday night that the person shot was his friend, from Kenya. Mohammad said he and others were trying to calm a dispute between another person and his friend, who was holding part of a broomstick he had found. Two officers approached and ordered Mohammad’s friend to drop the stick, he said.
“He barely even turned around, and boom, boom. He just dropped,” Mohammad said.
Here is the full text of Biskupsi’s statement follows, followed by that of the Salt Lake City Police Department:
From Mayor Jackie Biskupski
“Like many in our community, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the events that took place in downtown Salt Lake City last night. While the shooting is still under investigation, there is no doubt what happened is a tragedy for all involved and for our entire city.
“The use of force by law enforcement against the public can tear at the delicate balance of trust between both sides, and must be taken extremely seriously. These incidents create a number of unanswered questions in the short term, and justice requires we work together in good faith to find answers.
“I have complete confidence in the Unified Police Department, who is leading the investigation, and District Attorney Sim Gill, who will make an ultimate decision in this incident. I have asked the Salt Lake City Police Department to release as much information to the public as possible, without compromising the integrity of this investigation. I have also made a request for Chief Brown to reach out to members of the young man’s family, as well as meet personally with members of the police reform community as soon as possible.
“I am cognizant that this is the third significant use of force incident for the Salt Lake City Police Department in the last month. This morning, I had a serious conversation with Police Chief Brown and members of his team to review details about each of these incidents, including a discussion on training and whether de-escalation efforts could have been implemented. These conversations will continue in the weeks to come, will include members of the community, and must result in meaningful change.
“It is critical in times like these we do not circle the wagons against each other in our efforts to improve our criminal justice system–and we can always improve. I encourage the public to stay involved and engage in civil dialogue.”
From the Salt Lake City Police Department:
“On Saturday, February 27, at approximately 8:00 p.m. officers witnessed two males with metal objects attacking a male victim. Officers confronted the two suspects and ordered them to drop the weapons. One of the males complied and dropped the weapon, the other continued to advance on the victim and was shot by officers. The male was transported to the hospital and remains in critical condition. The male has been identified and is 17 years old. Because of his age, his identity will not be released.
“Immediately following the shooting, a crowd gathered and became hostile toward the officers – some throwing rocks and bottles. To ensure the safety of all present, the arriving medical personnel, and preservation of the crime scene, officers began asking the crowd to evacuate the area. Numerous individuals failed to comply with this request and crowd control was initiated by SLCPD. The crowd was dispersed swiftly and the area was cleared so the investigation could be conducted. As a result of the hostile crowd, four suspects were arrested for crimes related to civil disorder.
“Two SLCPD officers were involved in the shooting. Both involved officers had body cameras activated at the time of the shooting. The video evidence has been turned over to a team led by the Unified Police Department who will be handling the investigation per Salt Lake County’s Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol. Once the Unified Police Department’s investigation is complete, they will submit the case to the District Attorney’s office who will make a determination on the shooting. Other independent reviews will be done by the Salt Lake City Civilian Review Board, SLCPD Internal Affairs and the SLCPD Training Unit, where information from the review will be applied to future scenario-based training, lessons learned, and policies.
“‘We are committed, to ensuring the Salt Lake City Police Department does business appropriately, in line with the community’s trust and expectations,’ said Chief Mike Brown. ‘Our goal is to always de-escalate any type of volatile situation using the minimal amount of force necessary.’
“While there is body camera footage, there is currently an active and open investigation into this matter, and release of the body camera recordings could reasonably be expected to interfere with that investigation (Utah Code 63G-2-305(10)(a).
“Because the suspect is currently being screened for criminal charges, release of the body camera recording could create a danger of depriving the suspect of a right to fair trial or impartial hearing (Utah Code 63G-2-305(10)(c)).
“The officers have both been placed on routine administrative leave pending the result of the investigation.
“This release serves as our statement and no additional updates will be given on the investigation today.”
We’ve investigated ourselves and found there was no problem with officers using deadly force against a teenager carrying a stick