SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 7, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department has released bodycam recordings of a fatal officer-involved shooting on July 25.
The man who was killed has been identified as 34-year-old Andrew Jacob Preece. The videos show Preece as he appeared to be using a large knife to threaten a man he had under his control.
An employee of Smith’s Marketplace, at 455 S. 500 East, called police to alert them of the fight between the two men, one of whom had a knife “about the length of his forearm,” the caller said.
“At 9:19 a.m., dispatch received a call from the Smith’s loss prevention person of two males fighting in the store, stating that one of them had a knife,” said SLCPD Cpt. Richard Lewis said at a news conference.
“He stated that the two men stole items from the store. The loss prevention person said the suspects left the store together, and described the knife as being ‘the length of a forearm.’
“He stayed on the line, updating dispatch until the officers arrived.”
Lewis then played the 911 dispatch call, which was muffled on the caller’s end, but said the men came in together, claimed they had heat stroke, and could not even walk straight. One man revealed a knife before they exited, and began fighting each other in the parking lot.
Next, Lewis shared still photos taken from the body-worn cameras, which showed one man holding a knife to the back of the other, and placing an arm around the victim’s neck as they walked.
Lewis then showed the footage, showing officers give the suspect multiple verbal warning while their guns were drawn. The suspect pulled the second man in front of him, like a shield, and tried to back away from the scene, on 500 south, heading a few steps east.
After the first shot fire, the suspect did not immediate release his hostage, so more shots were fired. The suspect released his grip on the hostage. In the video, it sounds like at least nine additional shots were fired by two officers before the suspect fell to the ground.
The officers were placed an administrative leave, as is protocol, during the ongoing investigation, Lewis said. Investigations by a district attorney’s review board, the SLCPD and a citizens’ review board, he said, before leaving without taking questions.
The video below is disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
https://www.facebook.com/slcpd/videos/296684908423395/
