Protesters Gather At Salt Lake DA’s Office Following Ruling On Shooting

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Salt Lake City police declared protests at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office to be unlawful after demonstrators broke windows at the building Thursday evening.

A group began gathering at the office after Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill ruled officers were justified in using deadly force when Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal was shot and killed on May 23.

Gill’s ruling was announced Thursday morning.

Family members held a separate press conference to respond to the ruling, saying they felt Gill was biased in favor of law enforcement in his findings and acted more as a defense than an independent review.

Body camera footage showed officers fired at least 20 shots as Palacios-Carbajal ran away, tripping and falling multiple times. At one point he can be seen picking something up from the ground while fleeing before the officers opened fire.

Gill presented multiple videos during the press conference, which he said confirmed Palacios-Carbajal did have a gun, and he had dropped it multiple times while running. The videos include footage from police body cameras as well as surveillance cameras at the scene.

Police said the public should avoid the downtown area Thursday night.

Protesters poured red paint on the steps leading up to the office and out onto 500 South.

Multiple protesters also attempted to block KSL’s cameramen with black umbrellas or water bottles while filming.

The protesters have painted the street red again in front of the @SLCountyDA office. pic.twitter.com/ra6M3pYZxl

— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) July 10, 2020

Just before 8 p.m., officials with the Salt Lake City Police Department said the assembly would be declared “unlawful” after protesters broke windows at the district attorney’s office.

SLCPD Chief Mike Brown said they were prepared to allow a certain amount of vandalism Thursday night, including the red paint that was poured on the street and near the building.

However, he said once the group began breaching windows, the assembly was declared unlawful.

Police said officers have sustained injuries and were sprayed with pepper spray.