Utah Governor Gary Herbert today declared a state of emergency after protests erupted following an announcement of a decisions regarding a police-involved shooting.
The declaration was drafted yesterday and released today, July 10, 2020. The declaration states,” The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced its decision that the police-involved shooting of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal on May 23, 2020 was justified under Utah law. In response to…the decision, protests are taking place in Salt Lake City.”
The statement says that protests became violent and the Utah State Capital was damaged.
Officers are sustaining injuries and have been sprayed with pepper spray. A medical team is responding to assist.
— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) July 10, 2020
Salt Lake Police reported that protesters were disrupting traffic.
Protesters chant 'Justice for Bernardo', block 500 South in Salt Lake City https://t.co/HFNGCILPqK
— CBS 2 News (@CBS2Boise) July 10, 2020
Palacios-Carbajal was shot when Salt Lake Police responded to a call regarding “threats with a weapon.”
According to Fox 13 News, on May 23, at approximately 2:00 am, police were dispatched to a motel on a report that a man had allegedly pointed a gun at people and was making threats. When officers arrived, Palacios-Carbajal ran. Three officers chased him.
“SLCPD Capt. Richard Lewis said officers gave multiple verbal commands for him to stop, show his hands and to ‘drop the gun. One officer said over the radio that Palacios had a gun in his pocket and was reaching toward his waistband during the chase, Fox 13 reported.
Police bodycams recorded the entire scene. Officers shot and fatally wounded Palacios-Carbajal. He was struck 13-15 times.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement, “In the case of the Salt Lake City Officer Involved Critical Incident that resulted in the death of Bernardo Palacios Carbajal, District Attorney Sim Gill’s findings provide significant evidence of the justifiable actions of Salt Lake City police officers. This evidence shows that our officers acted according to their training and the state law regarding use of lethal force.”
Protests Erupt in Salt Lake City After Police Cleared in Fatal Shooting https://t.co/Z5M77Bl1bU via @democracynow
— Patricia Blochowiak (@ECPatriciaEC) July 10, 2020
Protesters smear red paint on Salt Lake City DA's office and smash windows amid protests after death of 22-year-old who was shot 34 times while running away is ruled as 'justified' under Utah law https://t.co/iMeEPTSWH9 via @MailOnline
— Helen *WTF* O'Peel (@HelenofPeel) July 10, 2020
Take 'em down:
— StableGeniusTrump2️⃣⏺2️⃣⏺😁 (@RealTrump2020_) July 10, 2020
Utah Governor Declares State of Emergency Following Violent Protest in Salt Lake City https://t.co/eSWSCXePTu
Image Credit: Twitter: @JimSpiewak