SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 1, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Four officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department violated policy, and two were disciplined after an incident last summer in which they reportedly “hazed” an officer-in-training, who was then told not to include the incident in his official report.
The incident happened on Aug. 8, 2024, near a warehouse in the area of Brooklyn Street and Washington Avenue, in the city’s Ballpark neighborhood. A dead man, later identified as 47-year-old Jason Lloyd, had been found in a tent. Lloyd’s unattended death was later ruled as accidental.
Body camera recordings from three SLCPD officers on scene show officers talking about the situation, and directing the officer-in-training — a recent graduate of the Police Academy — to help the staff from the Medical Examiner’s office move the body.
“The recruit was hesitant and believed the FTO (field training officer) was pranking him, and even stated, ‘I think you’re pranking me,'” says a report released by the SLCPD. The officer “assured the recruit he was being serious, and even added that he was required to move a dead body while on FTO. The recruit then dons his gloves and walks over to the location of the body and asks the IPS workers and the ME on scene if they needed help moving the body.
“The two IPS workers, along with the ME, joked with the recruit about being a ‘rookie,’ and then one of the IPS workers handed the recruit a box-cutter and told the recruit to cut the blisters on the decedent’s right arm. The recruit leaned down and appeared to cut three blisters/boils on the decedent’s arm.
“He then hands the box-cutter back to the IPS worker and turns back towards the other officers on scene. At this point, the other officers and crime lab technician are laughing and the recruit says ‘you guys suck.’ Laughing, one of the officers said, ‘We had to do that.'”
The report released by the SLCPD said the officer-in-training was told by his trainer not to include the fact that he had been instructed to pop the blisters and had complied, in his official report.
“To instruct the recruit to leave that pivotal piece of information out of his report is absolutely not something which should ever be told to a recruit,” the released internal report says. “With the hazing, the failure to intervene when the recruit was instructed by IPS to desecrate a body, the laughing about it afterwards, and instructing the recruit to intentionally leave it out of his report, this is a multitude of violations of our Standards of Conduct, unprofessional behavior towards co-workers, and conduct unbecoming of an officer.
“This entire incident has the potential to bring massive discredit to the department.”
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the case, according to a shared document, due to the lack of criminal intent.
Videos released by the SLCPD can be viewed on the Department’s YouTube channel. The videos are labeled as “inappropriate for some users,” and requires viewers to click on an additional screen to say they understand that and wish to continue.
“Since this incident, SLCPD employees have received additional training on professionalism, decorum, and ethics. All FTOs have also received additional training on expectations,” a statement released Friday by SLCPD Public Relations says.
The statement also quotes Chief Mike Brown, who served his last day in the position Friday.
“Our investigation found that some of the conduct in this case was unprofessional, discourteous, disrespectful, and offensive,” Brown said.
“This behavior does not align with the professionalism and integrity we demand as a police department. I extend my deepest condolences to Mr. Lloyd’s family. Every person we encounter deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Our decorum during death investigations must never again fall short of our core values as it did at times in this case.”
Brown acknowledged the SLCPD employees who reported their concerns about the conduct in this case, which initiated the internal affairs investigation.
Of the seven employees placed on paid administrative leave, all but one have returned to work. The primary FTO in this case resigned prior to the conclusion of any employment action, an SLCPD statement says.
Three SLCPD employees were exonerated of any misconduct after the conclusion of the internal affairs investigation.
“The SLCPD’s internal affairs investigation found four officers violated one or more SLCPD or City policies. The SLCPD imposed disciplinary actions ranging from a formal letter of warning to an unpaid suspension.”
