Congressman Jason Chaffetz has asked a federal judge to authorize the release of a video of a 2014 shooting in which a court security officer shot and killed a defendant.
Chaffetz asked Judge David Nuffer, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Utah, to allow the U.S. Marshals Service to release courtroom video of the shooting to anyone who has made a request for it under the federal government's public record laws, called the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Chaffetz made his request in a letter dated Thursday and sent to Nuffer. The two-page letter recalls how on April 21, 2014, defendant Siale Angilau — who was on trial for gang-related racketeering charges — apparently lunged at a witness on the stand. An officer then shot the 25-year-old man.
"Access to this video will allow the public to better understand the events that unfolded in the courtroom that day," Chaffetz wrote, adding that the video should be edited to protect the privacy of jurors and bystanders.
In an interview Tuesday on The Salt Lake Tribune's online talk show, Trib Talk, Chaffetz said it is "paramount" that the courts and the government be open and transparent.
"This is a public hearing, and even though it ended in a tragic way, I think the media and the public has a right to see that," Chaffetz said.
Both Nuffer and the Marshals Service have denied requests from journalists to disclose the video. Each has cited a memorandum of understanding the federal courts and the Marshals Service signed in 2009 that place courtroom surveillance videos in control of the judiciary, which is not subject to records laws. Nuffer and the Marshals Service also have cited concerns that releasing the video would create a danger to courthouse security and the officer who shot Angilau.
Nuffer, however, allowed Angilau's parents and their attorney to view a copy of the video in May. That video was edited to obscure the faces of several people, including the officer who shot Angilau four times in the back.
The family attorney, Bob Sykes, on Tuesday said he believes the shooting was unnecessary. Sykes said his clients want the video released so the public can see for themselves what happened.
"This was a public place, a public trial," Sykes said.
The Marshals Service and the FBI also have refused to disclose documents related to the shooting and the subsequent investigation. Both agencies have only said that the Justice Department decided not to prosecute the officer. Chaffetz's letter addresses only the video.
Utah news outlets, including The Salt Lake Tribune, requested Chaffetz's assistance after being denied access to the records and video.
David Reymann, an attorney who has consulted with the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists about the shooting records, said the agreement between the courts and the Marshals Service improperly allows an executive branch to hide its records in the judicial branch.
"We don't think a federal agency should be able to avoid its FOIA obligations like that," Reymann said.
Chaffetz is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, a post he has used to investigate the U.S. Secret Service and Planned Parenthood, among other agencies.
An attorney for Angilau's family did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment.
Angilau's trial was the first in the new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City.
ncarlisle@sltrib.com
Twitter: @natecarlisle