SLCPD Releases Body Worn Camera Footage from Officer Involved Critical Incident

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, the Salt Lake City Police Department is releasing body worn camera footage from the March 26, 2022 officer involved critical incident.

A statement from Chief Mike Brown is at the bottom of this release.

Case No. 22-54268
Incident Date: March 26, 2022
Officer-Involved-Critical Incident Location: 220 South Orange Street
Subject: Matthew Cieslack, 38
Complainant: Multiple 9-1-1 callers.

LINK TO VIDEOS:

● Body Worn Camera 1
● Body Worn Camera 2

911 CALL:

There are 16 applicable 9-1-1 calls to this case.

• 911 Calls

INFORMATION:

In compliance with Salt Lake City Ordinance 2.10.200, the Salt Lake City Police Department is releasing body-worn camera footage of the Officer-Involved Critical Incident that occurred at 5:52 PM MDT on March 26, 2022 at 220 South Orange Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. The footage released today shows the incident from the two involved SLCPD officers.
The videos being released are the only body-worn camera videos in SLCPD’s possession to capture the moments leading up to and including the shooting.
Video 1 is two minutes (02:00) long.
Video 2 is two minutes and fifty-one (02:51) seconds long.

Both videos start with 30-seconds of no audio. This is not a malfunction. The “Axon 3” body-worn cameras used by the SLCPD have a continuous 30-second video only buffer. When a recording is activated, the buffered video captured directly before the event is saved and attached to the event in permanent memory. This feature is intended to capture the video of an incident just before a recording begins.
Both videos end as the subject falls to the ground. The video is stopped pursuant to City Ordinance 2.10.200 (D) (3) which states “some images from a body-worn camera might be offensive or violate an individual’s privacy and should not be disclosed…These offensive/violative images include…showing the moment an individual deceases or the individual’s body the moment after deceasing…”

DISPATCHED DETAILS:

Regarding this incident, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department were initially dispatched to a Priority 1 – “Shooting Just Occurred” on the northbound Interstate 15 off ramp that leads to 600 South in downtown.

A timeline from the SLC911 dispatch log is being released with additional context and a summary. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.

5:47 PM – First 9-1-1 call received.
- Officers were advised there was a “guy standing in the middle of the road shooting.”
5:48 PM – Call dispatched to officers
5:48 PM – Officers enroute to the scene.
- Officers were advised there was a male “pointing a gun at people.”
- Officers were advised shots had been fired but no one appeared to be injured.
- Officers were advised the subject was in a silver sedan on Exit 306.
- Officers were advised the subject stole a vehicle from two men.
5:49 PM –
- Officers were advised the subject had a handgun.
- Officers were advised the subject may have shot someone.
- The subject vehicle is located by two SLCPD officers at 200 South 400 West. A pursuit is initiated.
- Officers were advised the subject likely had a 9 mm pistol.
5:51 PM –
- The pursuing officers advised dispatch of their location multiple times.
- Additional officers began efforts to interdict the pursuit by using a device to flatten the stolen vehicle’s tires.
- The pursuing officers continuously advised dispatch of their location.
5:52 PM –
- The pursuing officers advised the stolen vehicle crashed.
- The pursuing officers exit their vehicle and immediately begin giving verbal commands for the subject to “show me your hands” and “drop the gun.”
- Instantaneously, shots, in rapid succession, were exchanged between the subject and the pursuing officers.
- The pursuing officers advised over the radio “shots fired!”
- The subject, now on foot, begins running towards the two officers with a firearm in his right hand.
- The pursuing officers advised of their location for additional units to respond.
- Additional units start arriving on scene.
5:53 PM –
- Additional units start arriving on scene.
- Firefighters and paramedics were asked to stage nearby.
- SLC911 received additional information that the subject had been chasing two men on the exit ramp.
5:55 PM –
- On scene, officers put on medical personal protective equipment and planned a tactical approach to visually inspect the stolen vehicle to ensure there is no one inside, to secure the gun from the subject and to start providing medical care.
5:56 PM –
- Officers began CPR which continued until paramedics took over. Officers continued to assist paramedics and firefighters.
5:57 PM –
- An officer on scene at 220 South Orange Street advised the scene is safe for paramedics and firefighters to approach.
6:00 PM –
- Officers on scene at 220 South Orange Street advised the situation is “Code 4” meaning that an emergency response is no longer needed.
- SLCPD invoked the officer-involved-critical incident protocol.
6:07 PM –
- Media staging is established at 500 South Orange Street.

OFFICER ACTIONS:

There are only two body-worn camera videos that captured the actual officer-involved-critical incident. The BWC footage for both officers starts as they are pursuing the subject. The pursuit ended in an industrial area near 220 South Orange Street after the subject crashed the stolen vehicle, rendering it inoperable after becoming high-centered. After crashing, the subject remained in the vehicle. The involved officers, as they exited their vehicle, immediately began giving verbal commands for the subject to “show me your hands” and “drop the gun.” Instantaneously, shots, in rapid succession, were exchanged between the subject and the two officers. Upon exiting the driver side of the police car, one officer took cover behind the police car while engaged with the subject. Upon exiting the front passenger side of the police car, the other officer eventually took cover behind the police car while engaged with the subject. The subject exited the stolen vehicle from the front passenger side. There is a brief pause in the volley of gunshots, which is when one of the officers sees the subject running from the front passenger door of the vehicle and past the trunk in the direction of the officers. Both officers briefly continue to discharge their service weapons as the subject falls and briefly continue shooting as he is on the ground with the gun in close reach. A tactical approach, with responding and the involved officers, is formulated to approach the subject on the ground. After clearing the gun from the subject’s immediate reach, emergency life-saving efforts are conducted. Life-saving efforts continued for approximately 15-20 minutes with officers and paramedics.

STATEMENT FROM CHIEF MIKE BROWN:

“This was a very dynamic, dangerous and traumatic situation for everyone, but I am proud of our officers for the way they protected each other and our community when faced with an unimaginable and deadly situation. Our officers performed with great courage, tactics and professionalism while under fire in a life-threatening situation. Their will to survive and dedication to protecting each other and our community under stress is extraordinary. I look forward to their return to work after the investigations are complete.”

LINKS TO PERTINENT INFORMATION:

No further information on this case is being released. Neither the PIO nor the On-Duty Watch Commander are available for interviews.

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