Posted on behalf of Draper City and Draper City Police Department:

Media Instructions

Coverage of Funeral and Interment of Sgt. Derek Johnson

Public Viewing – Thursday, September 5, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

1)       Public Viewing from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.  Reporters are not allowed inside the Maverik Center for the Public Viewing.  Draper City Police Chief Bryan Roberts will be available for interviews at 7:30 p.m. on the steps of the Maverik Center.

Funeral Services – Friday, September 6, 11 a.m.

1)      The funeral service begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 6, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City. Reporters are allowed to attend the services and carry the funeral services.

2)      Although cameras (still and video) will be allowed in the Maverik Center, a single location will be provided from which all photography will be done.  No flashes are to be used during the service.

3)      Media representatives are asked to respect the other attendees by not moving about the Maverik Center once the services begin.

4)      Chief Bryan Roberts will be available to the media prior to the services at 10 a.m. at the media staging area inside the Maverik Center. Media should be in place by 9:30 a.m. See map for staging instructions.

5)      There will be a section of the parking lot set up for media trucks. Media vehicles in the Maverik Parking Lot will not be allowed to leave until all police and fire vehicles have departed in the precession. See map for staging instructions.

6)      A number of public information officers will be in attendance to assist with answering questions and providing assistance to media representatives. Twitter will be used extensively. Please follow @Draper City.

7)      Funeral service attendees: please approach Maverik center from 3500 South on Decker Lake Drive.

 Friday Road Closures

1)      Starting at 8:30 a.m. til last procession car has left the Maverik Center: Decker Lake Drive (2200 W.), both north and south, from 3100 South to in front of the Maverik Center, will be closed to through traffic to accommodate ingress/egress of funeral attendees.

2)      From approximately 9-9:30 a.m., 3500 South between 2200 and 2700 West will be closed to all traffic so Unified Fire Authority can set up a flag bridge over 3500 South.

3)      From the funeral procession start (12:30-1 p.m.) til the last vehicle leaves: Decker Lake Drive, in both directions, from 3100-3500 South will be closed; this includes business and hotel access.

4)      Freeway traffic: the funeral procession will not travel at freeway speed.

5)      Onramps/offramps closed along the funeral procession route: this includes 3500 South to I-215 to I-15 interchange to 12300 South; also the I-215 offramp to westbound 3500 South will be shutdown to facilitate funeral procession. Traffic already on the freeway (I-215 or I-15) will be able to pass on the left, but access to offramps will be significantly restricted by the flow of the funeral procession.

-more-

Funeral Cortege

See the attached map and please follow instructions of officers directing traffic.  The processional route is:  I-215 at 3500 South to the I-15 Interchange and then south on I-15 to 12300 South Exit.  Then it heads east following 12300 South as it winds through Draper (which is why they are going this far south).  This road eventually turns into 1500 East, then 1700 East, which eventually intersects with 10600 South, from which point the procession will head east to the cemetery’s eastern entrance.  Officers will direct traffic appropriately within the cemetery.

 

Interment at Larkin Sunset Mortuary – Friday, September 6, approximately 2 p.m.

1)      Interment at Larkin Sunset Mortuary (1950 East 10600 South): reporters should set up at 12:30 p.m. and be in place by 1 p.m.  The media set-up area will be located on a service road within the cemetery (dirt road immediately south of the burial plot.)  We are requesting that trucks park on the east side of the dirt road to allow mortuary equipment to pass by.  PLEASE park with your vehicles facing north on the east side of the road.  There is a turn-around spot at the end of the dirt road. See map.

2)      Please be aware other funerals are taking place Friday at Larkin, but those should conclude prior to Sgt. Johnson’s service.

Road Closures & Traffic Impact:

1)      12300 South from I-5 east to 1700 East will be closed during the procession.

2)      1700 East from 12300 South to 10600 South will be closed during the procession.

3)      10600 South east from 1700 East to 2000 East will be closed during the procession to the end of the graveside services.

4)      Notify travelers that a large funeral procession will be traveling southbound from the Maverik Center to I-215 then eastbound to I-15 southbound to the Draper exit (12300 South).  Please notify the public that there will be a steady stream of traffic – please try to avoid this area if at all possible.

Social Media:

5)      Follow @drapercity and use the hashtag #SgtJohnsonFuneral. For traffic updates, follow @UDOTTraffic.

 

Finally we ask all reporters to respect the privacy of Sgt. Johnson’s family and the others in attendance by not asking for interviews with family members or Draper City law enforcement officers and employees.  Please realize this is a sensitive time for Derek’s family, friends and co-workers. Draper City Police Chief Bryan Roberts will act as spokesman for Draper City officers.

 

Links/Attachments: 

Maverik media staging inside, PDF attachment

Maverik media staging outside:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zgE0eiwqKonM.kf4Knob2hH2Q

Funeral Procession route:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zgE0eiwqKonM.k8yRHV76Lz_I

Cemetery media staging:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zBVEgaaKtmew.kTISUBJevPdc

Contacts:             Maridene Hancock, Public Relations Officer, Office of the Mayor, Draper City

 (801) 576-6527 Cell:  (801) 831-7224   maridene.hancock@draper.ut.us

Ms. Hancock will be unavailable Friday.

 

Graveside PIO: Sgt. Robin Heiden, Lead PIO, Salt Lake Police Department   (801) 799-6397  robin.heiden@slcgov.com

 

Maverik Center PIO: Officer Gary Keller, South Salt Lake Police Department   (801) 412-3635 gkeller@southsaltlakecity.com

 

###