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Saratoga Springs police have been looking into body cameras for their officers, but the two officers involved in Darrien Hunt's fatal shooting were apparently not wearing them at the time, according the Utah County Attorney's Office.
Deputy Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor said Thursday he was not aware of any body camera footage submitted to his office as part of the investigation into the shooting.
Hunt was killed Sept. 10 after Cpl. Matt Schauerhamer and Officer Nicholas Judson were called to an outdoor shopping mall on a report of a man waving a sword.
Police Chief Andrew Burton said Thursday that he did not know whether either of the officers was wearing one of the few cameras that the department has been experimenting with this year.
Burton explained that the officers' uniforms were collected as evidence shortly after the shooting.
"We bought a few [body cameras] with this grant money we had," Burton said, adding that it turned out the department had some issues with the equipment.
The cameras only had about 75 to 80 minutes of storage space, and sometimes the video or audio would cut out, Burton said.
The department recently ordered a sample of three different models to find a better option, but at least two of those had yet to be given out to officers.
"We are definitely looking at [body cameras] ... and this kind of incident heightens our interest in it," Burton said.
Hunt's shooting has sparked debate about whether the 22-year-old victim was lunging at officers with a samurai sword, as police have said, or if he was running away when he was shot and killed. Hunt's family claims an autopsy shows he was shot six times in the back.
Schauerhamer, who has contributed a number of articles and police blotter items to The Crossroads Journal, praised the use of body cameras for police in a July 23 article. The journal is an online newspaper that covers Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain and Cedar Fort.
"In my experience, having a body camera has always been a beneficial thing," Schauerhamer wrote. "Whether accurately documenting and recording a crime scene, or making suspects accountable for their words and deeds, cameras are an incredible tool at an officer's disposal."
Both Schauerhamer and Judson are on paid administrative leave, per protocol, while the investigation continues.
Hunt's death is the first officer-involved shooting for the Saratoga Springs Police Department, according to the Wednesday Crossroads Journal article.
Family members this week have chosen a new attorney in light of how big the case is becoming, said Moss. The shooting has garnered attention from both national and overseas media.
They had previously been represented by Randall Edwards, who was planning on asking the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate the shooting and reports of racial discrimination in the city where it occurred.
Hunt's family has alleged that race factored into the shooting, noting that Darrien Hunt is half-black. Taylor and police officialshave denied that race had anything to do with the shooting.
In the meantime, more than 12,200 people have signed a MoveOn.org petition calling for a citizen review board and for reform in police officer hiring and training. The petition is intended for Gov. Gary Herbert and the Utah State Legislature.
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