Body Camera Footage Shows Utah Police Officers Fatally Shoot Man Holding Knife to Man's Neck
By Officer.com News
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Body camera footage released on Friday shows Salt Lake City police officers fatally shoot a suspect holding a knife to another man's neck in late July.
Two officers opened fire on 34-year-old Andrew Jacob Preece on July 25 after a worker at the Smith’s Food and Drug at 455 Street 500 East called 911 at 9:20 a.m. to report that two men took an umbrella from the store and were fighting in the parking lot, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
The video shows one officer initially encountered Preece and the other man as they walked on the sidewalk near the grocery store as Preece had his hand on the other man’s shoulder, who is walking in front of him. Preece has a long knife in his other hand.
"Drop the knife!" the officer yells.
The officer then threatened to use his Taser on Preece, and again ordered him to stop. Preece then pulled the man closer to him and put the knife to his throat.
“He’s got a hostage!” the officer said over the radio. A second officer yelled again for Preece to put the knife down. “It’s not worth it!” she yelled, her gun pointed at Preece.
The female officer then fired a shot at Preece, but he continued holding the other man near his body. Both officers then fired at Preece until he fell to the ground.
Police rendered first aid, but Preece was declared dead by medical personnel just over 10 minutes later.
Police officials said Friday that both of the officers are on administrative leave until an internal review and a use-of-force review from the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office is complete.
