"Sword-Wielding" Utah Man Shot in the Back by Police, Says Independent Autopsy

And the cops are now changing their story. Gee, that's not suspicious at all. Just what they would think if you did the same thing, right?

Utah authorities alter account of shooting by police

Authorities in Utah have altered their account of how a 22-year-old black man was killed by police, after an attorney for the man’s family alleged that he was shot repeatedly from behind by officers while running away.

The authorities also said that the two police officers involved in the shooting of Darrien Hunt last Wednesday had not yet been interviewed about the incident. The attorney for Hunt’s family described this delay as “almost incomprehensible”.

Hunt died outside a Panda Express restaurant at a strip mall in Saratoga Springs on Wednesday morning following an encounter with two police officers who were responding to a 911 call reporting a man with a samurai-style sword acting suspiciously.

After several days of silence Tim Taylor, the chief deputy attorney for Utah county, said in a statement on Saturday: “When the officers made contact with Mr Hunt, he brandished the sword and lunged toward the officers with the sword, at which time Mr Hunt was shot.”

However, Taylor confirmed to the Guardian on Monday that Hunt was in fact alleged to have lunged at the officers outside a bank several dozen yards away from where he ultimately died. While it was outside the bank that Hunt was first “shot at” by police, Taylor said, it was not clear whether he was struck on that occasion.

Hunt then headed north and was shot several more times before eventually collapsing outside the Panda Express, according to Taylor. He said it was not clear if there were any further threatening moves. “Whether or not the individual lunged again at point two, the other location, I don’t know about that,” Taylor said.

Randall Edwards, an attorney for Hunt’s family, said in an email late on Monday: “This appears to be a major change in the official story”.

They don't interview the people who killed the guy for almost a week after incident? I suppose they'll feign incompetence.

a reply to: NthOther

hmmm changing their story...try to save face ?

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Maybe trying to complicate things. Confuse the situation, introduce more variables into the equation so as to make their story at least somewhat plausible to the dimwitted masses.

But why are they already changing the story when they haven't even heard the story from the people involved? It's bizarre.

originally posted by: NthOther
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Maybe trying to complicate things. Confuse the situation, introduce more variables into the equation so as to make their story at least somewhat plausible to the dimwitted masses.

But why are they already changing the story when they haven't even heard the story from the people involved? It's bizarre.

well it is not that bizarre when you consider the masses will lose interest very quickly and they know it...so they throw out a bit of deflection and job done.......

i think you will find that they have got the story from the officers involved and they are keeping it quiet till it blows over

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
well it is not that bizarre when you consider the masses will lose interest very quickly and they know it...so they throw out a bit of deflection and job done.......

This is why people like Al Sharpton get involved in these matters - to be sure it stays in the public eye and gets the attention it deserves. I know people hate Al Sharpton and I know he goes overboard, but the work he does for cases like this (and Michael Brown, John Crawford and Trayvon Martin) is what is going to bring about change in the way black people (and people in general) are treated by police.

I'm not surprised the story has changed (the location if the death???). These police are the ones that earned the cops the name of "pig". They are pigs, and that's an insult to the animal.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

This is why people like Al Sharpton get involved in these matters - to be sure it stays in the public eye and gets the attention it deserves. I know people hate Al Sharpton and I know he goes overboard, but the work he does for cases like this (and Michael Brown, John Crawford and Trayvon Martin) is what is going to bring about change in the way black people (and people in general) are treated by police.

Sharpton and his ilk distort everything into racial issues. This is not a racial thing, in my opinion, but "everyone knows cops are racist", so it's a convenient distraction for them to use.

It's easier for them to get away with saying "cops are racist" (which they are, mind you, but that isn't the point), than it is to say "law enforcement is filled with lunatics hell-bent on establishing a domestic police state". We need a prominent black figure to say that. The truth.

Otherwise, all Sharpton is doing is ignoring the real problem in favor of maintaining his relevancy and (most importantly) his marketability.

“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”.

Looks like we'll see (hopefully)...

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.

Guardian

he was cos-playing, apparently. i dunno if there was an anime convention in the area or not, but that's what they do. they dress up like a movie/book/anime/manga character and act the part out.

here's an example

originally posted by: undo
he was cos-playing, apparently.

Do you have a source? Nothing was said about him being in costume. He was going for a job interview...

What young black man would take the chance of cos-playing at police officers??? He'd have to be totally sheltered from the news of the world to decide to do that... and have a death wish.

originally posted by: NthOther
It's easier for them to get away with saying "cops are racist" (which they are, mind you, but that isn't the point), than it is to say "law enforcement is filled with lunatics hell-bent on establishing a domestic police state". We need a prominent black figure to say that. The truth.

Why does it have to be a prominent black figure? EVERYONE should be saying that!

a reply to: NthOther

Ohhhhh, you should maybe review the new Sim Gill. He is actually doing his job, and removing the Blue Line.

And as for shooting him in the back, if he was/is a dangerous fleeing felon, meaning he displayed intent on harming someone and had the means to carry it out, like with a sword, it is a good shoot.

But, as with the Missouri thing, let all the facts come out.

originally posted by: macman
And as for shooting him in the back, if he was/is a dangerous fleeing felon, meaning he displayed intent on harming someone and had the means to carry it out, like with a sword, it is a good shoot.

Intent does not make someone a felon. Conviction of a felony makes someone a felon.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Please, go and research a dangerous fleeing felon. This is a common topic addressed in just about every LE academy out there.

If someone has committed a crime and/or displays/states the want to commit a crime and has the ability to carry out said crime, and they attempt to flee, they are a dangerous fleeing felon.

The "felon" term is just a title term.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

en.wikipedia.org...

No conviction is needed for this.

a reply to: macman

So, you're saying that these cops may have thought that this young man was going to go kill someone with a toy sword, so they shot him in the back 8 times? Is that your stretch?

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Well see, cops are well trained in threat identification and weapon identification. So when a skinny black kid comes up with a blunted display sword from a knife shop while cosplaying as mugen from samurai champloo, they shot him. because mugen is a very dangerous character with lots of blood on hia hands. I mean, if someone came up dressed as a cop theyd probly do the same thing, given how dangerous cops are too!

6 bucks says they asked to see the sword, he showed them in flourishy way, the cops misinterpreted this flourish as brandishing and began to shoot, thanks to their amazing threat recognition training.

a reply to: framedragged

AH! Now I see! LOL Makes perfect sense... Thank you. I'm even a little scared just thinking about this skinny kid with a toy! Surely he's a felon and planning to murder everyone he encounters. AFTER his job interview, that is...

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

I don't know the facts. Just what is released by the Media.

If, the LEOs thought that the sword was real, and that the young man made statements he was going to harm someone, then the intent has basis.

I am not condoning anything. Don't know all the facts.

I'm of the opinion that the laws, regulations, and procedures being discussed regarding shooting someone in the back are irrelevant.

You're a coward if you shoot someone in the back. If you're dead set on even having cops in the first place, you should at least demand that they not be murderous pansies.

"Honor", is the word I believe I'm looking for here. What happened to cops having a little honor (even if slightly skewed)?

Oh yeah, they won't hire them anymore.