Killing of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal

{{Short description|May 2020 police killing of a man in Salt Lake City, Utah}}

On May 23, 2020, police officers killed 22-year-old Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal in Salt Lake City, Utah. Officers fired 34 shots at Palacios-Carbajal, striking him 13–15 times, after chasing him while he ran away carrying a gun and repeatedly dropping it and retrieving it.{{cite news|date=July 9, 2020|title=Use of deadly force against Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal ruled justified|work=Fox 13 Salt Lake City|url=https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/live-da-sim-gill-releasing-findings-on-palacios-investigation|accessdate=July 10, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Official: Police justified in killing armed, fleeing man|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/official-police-justified-killing-armed-fleeing-man-71697078|access-date=2020-07-10|website=ABC News|language=en}} The shooting triggered protests coinciding with the worldwide protests following the murder of George Floyd. Bodycam footage was released on June 5. District Attorney Sim Gill announced on July 9 that the shooting was legally justified and that the officers would not face criminal charges.

Shooting

Shortly after 2 a.m. on May 23, 2020, multiple Salt Lake City police officers responded to a call alleging that a man had tried to rob someone at gunpoint outside a strip club in the area of 300 West and 900 South. Officers chased him around the motel and nightclub to a parking lot across the street. Bernardo fell 3 times and picked up the gun each time. Officers Kevin Fortuna and Neil Iversen fired their weapons. Once Bernardo fell to the ground face forward he rolled to his back and officers told Bernardo to show them his hands. Surveillance camera footage shows Bernardo raise his hands brandishing his gun towards officers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/7/9/21318772/salt-lake-police-legally-justified-in-killing-bernardo-palacios-d-a-says|title=Salt Lake police legally justified in high-profile killing of fleeing man, D.A. says|first=Pat|last=Reavy|date=July 9, 2020|website=Deseret News}}{{Cite web|last=Stauffer|first=McKenzie|date=2020-07-09|title=Shooting of Bernardo Palacios ruled 'justified' by Salt Lake County DA|url=https://kutv.com/news/local/shooting-of-bernardo-palacios-ruled-justified-by-salt-lake-county-da-07-09-2020|access-date=2020-07-10|website=KUTV}} They fired again, totaling 34 shots, 13–15 of which struck Palacios-Carbajal, killing him. No officers were injured.{{cite news |title=Police shoot and kill man after short chase early Saturday morning |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/05/23/one-dead-after-officer/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=May 23, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Means |first1=Sean P. |title=Salt Lake City police identify man shot and killed by officers Saturday |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/05/25/salt-lake-city-police/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=May 25, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Jessica |last2=Harkins |first2=Paighten |title=Protesters return to the streets as new bodycam video shows Salt Lake City officers shot at a fleeing man more than 20 times |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/05/body-cam-shows-salt-lake/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 5, 2020}}

Aftermath

Protests were planned for the Saturday after the killing, coinciding with worldwide protests following the murder of George Floyd.{{cite news |last1=Harkins |first1=Paighten |title=Demonstrators gather at SLC Unitarian church to protest George Floyd's death |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/05/29/demonstrators-gather-slc/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=May 29, 2020}} Several protests marched throughout the city, with protesters also calling for justice for Riche Antonio Santiago, Patrick Harmon, Elijah James Smith, and James Dudley-Barker, four others killed by Utah police.{{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Ivana |last2=Colby |first2=Natalie |title=As #BlackLivesMatter Protests Reach Salt Lake City, Protestors Surround SLCPD and Utah State Capitol |url=https://dailyutahchronicle.com/2020/05/30/black-lives-matter-protests-reach-salt-lake-city-protestors-surround-slc-pd-and-utah-state-capitol/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Daily Utah Chronicle |date=May 30, 2020}}{{Cite web |title=Cop DB - SLCPD Officer Matthew Taylor shoots and kills James Dudley Barker |url=https://app.copdb.org/incidents/23b27ef5-b32c-449c-949e-7629686623f7 |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=app.copdb.org}}

Bodycam footage is required by city law to be released within 10 business days of a police shooting. Bodycam footage from three officers was released on June 5. The city council released a statement on June 7 decrying the shooting, and several hundred gathered at the state capitol to demand justice.{{cite news |last1=Newman |first1=Josh |title=Salt Lake City Councilwoman Amy Fowler says Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal was 'unlawfully killed' by police |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/06/07/salt-lake-city/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 7, 2020}} The funeral for Palacios-Carbajal was held on June 10, with many attendants going to a protest directly afterwards. By June 13, a memorial had developed at the site of the shooting, and a mural of Palacios-Carbajal was painted next to one of George Floyd.{{cite news |last1=Harkins |first1=Paighten |title=Salt Lake City protesters join national day of action in calling for community control of police |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/13/salt-lake-city-protesters/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 13, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Jacobs |first1=Becky |last2=Means |first2=Sean P. |title=Utahns create community art projects to capture protests against racial injustice |url=https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2020/06/12/utahns-create-community/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 12, 2020}} Murals of Michael Chad Breinholt, Darrien Hunt, Dillon Taylor, and Bryan Pena Valencia, four other men fatally shot by Utah police since 2014, were painted on the same wall.{{cite news |last1=Glenn |first1=Sydney |title=Online petition gives Utah family 'hope' that 2014 deadly officer-involved shooting case will be re-opened |url=https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/online-petition-gives-utah-family-hope-that-2014-deadly-officer-involved-shooting-case-will-be-re-opened |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=FOX 13 |date=June 16, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Harkins |first1=Paighten |title=George Floyd mural in Salt Lake City vandalized a second time |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/21/george-floyd-mural-salt/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 21, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Semerad |first1=Tony |last2=Kjolseth |first2=Francisco |title=Demonstrators gather to protest man's death in West Valley City last summer |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/27/demonstrators-gather/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 27, 2020}} People assembled at the new Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, calling for the dismissal of District Attorney Sim Gill and protesting the police killings of Cody Belgard and Zane James, two other men fatally shot by Salt Lake County police in 2018, before going to a memorial for Palacios-Carbajal. Salt Lake City police turned the shooting investigation over to Unified Police, who submitted their report to Gill's office on June 16.{{cite news |last1=Larsen |first1=Andy |title=Protesters again ask for Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill to release Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal report |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/18/protesters-ask-again-salt/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 18, 2020}} An unusually high number of police officers had left the department in the preceding weeks. "They felt like they could go on and get an education and get into a different career," said police chief Mike Brown.{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Paul |last2=Miller |first2=Saige |title=Salt Lake police chief talks about officers quitting the department |url=https://kslnewsradio.com/1927437/salt-lake-police-chief-talks-about-officers-quitting/ |accessdate=June 27, 2020 |work=KSL News Radio |date=June 16, 2020}}

On June 17, protesters marched to the Salt Lake City government building and chanted, "Mayor, what happened to his fingers?"{{cite news |last1=Larsen |first1=Leia |title=Protesters call for action in fatal police shooting of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/17/protesters-call-action/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 17, 2020}} On June 23, it was reported that the family of Palacios-Carbajal said that some of his fingers were missing when they saw his body.{{cite news |last1=Harkins |first1=Paighten |title=Tensions escalate after police officers arrive on scene of 'Justice for Bernardo' protest in Salt Lake City |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/23/police-officers-arrive/ |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=June 23, 2020}} Autopsy photos showed that some of his fingers were mangled.

On the morning of July 9, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced the ruling that the shooting was "justified" and there would be no charges. Utah law states that an officer is justified in using deadly force when "the officer reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person". Mayor Erin Mendenhall said that the evidence in the case will be delivered to the city's civilian review board and that an internal investigation within the police department will get underway.{{cite web |url=https://kjzz.com/news/local/shooting-of-bernardo-palacios-ruled-justified-by-salt-lake-county-da |title=Shooting of Bernardo Palacios ruled 'justified' by Salt Lake County DA |work=KJZZ |accessdate=July 9, 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Jessica |last2=Harkins |first2=Paighten |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/07/09/salt-lake-county/ | title=Cops who shot and killed Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal won't face charges, Salt Lake County DA decides| work=Salt Lake Tribune| accessdate=July 9, 2020 |date=June 23, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Utah Code 76-2-404 Peace officer's use of deadly force |url=https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter2/76-2-S404.html |website=utah.gov |accessdate=July 9, 2020}} Shortly after 8 p.m. the evening of July 9, protests broke out in response.{{cite web|url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/07/09/protesters-angry-bernardo/ | title=Protesters smash windows, clash with riot police after officers who killed Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal avoid criminal charges | accessdate=July 9, 2020}} By 10 p.m., several windows of the DA's office were broken, buckets of red paint were poured on the property, some reporters covering the event were interfered with and blocked from filming, and police reported members of the crowd using pepper spray on one of the officers, resulting in SLCPD declaring the group an unlawful gathering and dispersing the crowd.{{Cite web|title=Utah governor declares state of emergency during protests over ruling that fatal police shooting was justified|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-governor-declares-state-of-emergency-during-protests-over-ruling-that-fatal-police-shooting-was-justified/ar-BB16z6PD|access-date=2020-07-10|website=www.msn.com}}{{Cite web|title=Protesters clash with police after DA says officers who killed Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal were legally justified|url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/07/09/protesters-angry-bernardo/|access-date=2020-07-10|website=The Salt Lake Tribune|language=en-US}} As a result, Governor Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/us/utah-state-of-emergency-protests-shooting/index.html | title=Utah governor declares state of emergency during protests over ruling that fatal police shooting was justified | website=CNN | date=July 10, 2020 | accessdate=July 10, 2020}} In the weeks following the initial protests, protesters were charged with misdemeanors and felonies for vandalism, and failure to disperse, among other charges.{{Cite web|title=More protesters charged with painting outside the Salt Lake County district attorney's office| url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/08/04/three-more-protesters/| accessdate=August 5, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Three more protesters charged with painting Salt Lake County district attorney's office red|url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/07/28/three-more-protesters/|accessdate=August 5, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=4 people arrested during protest outside of Salt Lake County DA's office|date=July 10, 2020|url=https://kutv.com/news/local/4-people-arrested-during-protest-outside-of-salt-lake-das-office|accessdate=August 5, 2020}}