Darrien Hunt: new surveillance footage may shed light on police shooting

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/darrien-hunt-surveillance-footage-utah-police-shooting

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Surveillance footage from a drive-through bank in Utah where a 22-year-old black man is alleged to have lunged at police officers with a sword, before fleeing and being shot to death, has been obtained by investigators.

Recordings made by surveillance cameras at the restaurant where Darrien Hunt eventually died last week have also been separately provided to authorities. The footage may shed light on whether Hunt was shot from behind while running away, as his family’s attorney alleges.

Hunt was killed at a strip mall in Saratoga Springs last Wednesday, following an encounter with two officers responding to a 911 call reporting that a man carrying a samurai-style sword was acting suspiciously.

Utah County prosecutors initially said that Hunt, who was outside a branch of Cyprus Credit Union, “brandished the sword and lunged toward the officers with the sword, at which time Mr Hunt was shot”. However, on Tuesday they confirmed that Hunt fled several dozen yards to the north before being shot multiple times and collapsing outside a Panda Express restaurant.

Asked on Tuesday whether the drive-through forecourt where Hunt and the officers had their first encounter was covered by surveillance cameras, Jessica Taylor, a spokeswoman for Cyprus, said in an email: “Yes. The credit union has external security cameras on our branch in Saratoga Springs.”

“We provided footage from our outdoor camera to the authorities for the times requested,” said Taylor. “Cyprus is cooperating with all requests from the authorities.”

Thien Ho, a spokeswoman for Panda Express restaurants, said in an email: “At the request of the Saratoga Springs Police Department, we provided video surveillance footage.” Ho did not respond to repeated questions on whether the area where Hunt died was watched by surveillance cameras.

The shooting is being investigated by the county’s “officer-involved shooting protocol team”, which comprises officers from several different forces and agencies. Following this inquiry, the county attorney’s office is due to “review these findings and issue a statement”.

The two officers involved in the shooting have not been identified by Saratoga Springs police department. They have been placed on paid administrative leave. One of the officers was scheduled to be interviewed on Tuesday. The other is due to be interviewed on Thursday.

Hunt’s mother, Susan, who is white, has accused the police of killing her son because of his race. According to the 2010 US census, the population of Saratoga Springs is about 93% white and 0.5% black.

“They killed my son because he’s black. No white boy with a little sword would they shoot while he’s running away,” Mrs Hunt has said. Tim Taylor, the deputy chief attorney for Utah County, has said there is “no indication that race played any role”.