Salt Lake City announced a procedural change Monday in how footage from Officer Involved Critical Incidents (OICI) are released to the public. Moving forward, all police body-worn camera footage of an OICI, from the moment cameras are activated up to the point of medical aid being administered, will be released within 10 business days of the incident, subject to redaction of footage that is considered private, controlled or protected under the Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”). For example, information that violates a person’s right to privacy, such as medical history, might be redacted pursuant to GRAMA. For circumstances involving juveniles, footage that identifies them will be edited out.   

To this point, the Salt Lake City Police Department had released partial footage of the incidents, and members of the public and media were asked to file records requests to obtain the full footage and 911 dispatch calls. The change is designed to remove unnecessary hurdles to the public as they seek out information that they would be otherwise entitled to under the Government Records And Management Act. 

The change was announced at a press conference Monday afternoon regarding the release of body-worn camera footage of the September 4, 2020 OICI involving a juvenile in Salt Lake City. 

Mayor Erin Mendenhall said of the incident: “Because of ongoing investigations on this incident, I am limited in my capacity as Mayor in what I am able to say about the footage that will be released today. But as a member of this community, and as a mother of a 14 year old, I am profoundly heartbroken and frustrated. This shooting is another tragedy – a tragedy for this young boy, for his mother, for families and individuals who have acute mental health needs, and for our community, who may look at this situation and see themselves or a loved one reflected in it.”

Information about how to access the footage and 911 calls of the September 4, 2020 OICI can be found here:https://t.co/n99DnlLmZf?amp=1.

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