SLCPD Central Bike Squad Focuses on Reducing Loud Parties Through Education, Outreach Effort
August 30, 2024SLCPD Conducts Enforcement Operation Along Jordan River Trail, 9 People Arrested
August 31, 2024 |
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PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT |
August 30, 2024 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact Information: PolicePRUnit@slcgov.com Media Request Form: https://police.slc.gov/mediarequest/ |
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SLCPD Invokes OICI Protocol, Releases Body-Worn Camera FootageSALT LAKE CITY — Today, in compliance with Salt Lake City ordinance 2.10.200, the Salt Lake City Police Department is announcing it has invoked the officer-involved-critical-incident (OICI) protocol and is releasing body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a 2023 case. “This is a unique situation,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown. “Recently, we became aware of a civil lawsuit in this case and upon reviewing the facts, and allegations, we elected to invoke the OICI protocol in the interest of transparency, accountability, and to ensure compliance with state law.” This is the third OICI protocol activation for 2024. The following contains preliminary information and is a summarization of the facts known to the department at the time of release. Additional information may develop that could result in some of this information becoming out of date. At 8:31 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 2023, two Salt Lake City police officers contacted a 57-year-old woman, later identified as Agnes Martinez, near 400 West 1700 South. Officers made the determination to arrest Ms. Martinez on drug-related charges. Despite multiple commands to stop, warnings, and efforts to deescalate, Ms. Martinez physically resisted. During the arrest process, Ms. Martinez and the officers went to the ground. Afterward, officers noticed an injury to Ms. Martinez’s leg, which appeared to be a broken leg. Officers placed her in handcuffs and sat her up. Officers called for paramedics to respond. Paramedics took Ms. Martinez to the hospital. The district attorney’s office later filed a criminal case against Ms. Martinez, which is pending. On July 31, 2024, the SLCPD became aware of a civil lawsuit alleging that Ms. Martinez’s injuries on September 1, 2023, later led to the amputation of her leg, a serious bodily injury. After learning about the leg amputation, as outlined in the civil complaint, the SLCPD invoked the OICI protocol and initiated an internal affairs review. Under Utah state law, serious bodily injury, occurring during an arrest, is considered an officer-involved-critical-incident. The Salt Lake City Police Department does not currently have independently verified information regarding the medical causes or reasons behind Ms. Martinez’s leg amputation. Multiple investigations are ongoing, and these will thoroughly examine all relevant details. Until these investigations are complete, any assumptions, including any conclusions or correlations between the amputation and the officers’ encounter, would be premature and potentially misleading. Links to SLCPD Body-Worn Camera (BWC) footage There is no 9-1-1 call associated with this incident. No additional details are available for release and the SLCPD is not available for interviews. The Salt Lake County Officer Involved Critical Incident Protocol Team is multijurisdictional unit comprised of investigators from police departments throughout the Salt Lake Valley, not including the agency or agencies involved. This protocol team creates an independent, transparent, and objective process from which meaningful and valuable conclusions can be drawn. Once the investigation is complete it will be presented to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for review ###
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