Protesters plan rally following Utah police-involved shooting
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Version 0 of 1. Protesters are planning a demonstration Monday evening in downtown Salt Lake City after police officers shot and critically wounded a black teenager during a street altercation on Saturday night. Abdi Mohamed, 17, a Kenyan immigrant who reportedly was holding a piece of a broomstick, was struck by three bullets in his upper and lower torso, police told the Salt Lake Tribune. The shooting followed police intervention in a dispute near downtown in which Mohamed was arguing with another man, at least one witness said. Mohamed was listed in critical condition Sunday. “The use of force by law enforcement against the public can tear at the delicate balance of trust between both sides,” Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski (D) said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “These incidents create a number of unanswered questions in the short term, and justice requires we work together in good faith.” She said the district attorney and the Unified Police Department are investigating. Police said that two officers were involved and that both had body cameras that filmed the event. An ongoing Washington Post database lists 161 people shot dead by police this year, and 990 in 2015. The investigation reports 12 people killed by police in Utah during the survey period — all but one were white men. Ten of the 12 had a knife or firearm; one had a pellet gun that looked similar to a pistol and one held a shovel, which was used to strike an officer. A group called Utah Against Police Brutality announced plans on social media to hold the protest Monday. Police said in a statement that about 8 p.m. Saturday night, “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.” But Selam Mohammad, who was near Mohamed at the time of the shooting, told KSTU-TV that Mohamed had dropped the stick. “The police said, ‘Drop it’ once, then they shot him four times,” Mohammad said. “We were trying to break it up before the police even came, but the police ran in on foot and pulled their guns out already.” The shooting unleashed angry protests, with demonstrators gathering near the scene. A police spokesman told local reporters that some officers were injured by flying objects and that police responded with pepper spray and Tasers. Nearly 100 officers — some carrying riot shields — were at the scene. “We are committed, to ensuring the Salt Lake City Police Department does business appropriately, in line with the community’s trust and expectations,” Police Chief Mike Brown said in Sunday’s statement. “Our goal is to always de-escalate any type of volatile situation using the minimal amount of force necessary.” Family members told KSTU that Mohamed has lived in Utah for a decade and has a son. The station quoted his girlfriend, Becca Monson, as saying Mohamed is “a really caring, good, loving boyfriend, and a really, good caring loving father.” |