A Utah man shot multiple times by police has been charged with multiple counts of assaulting police officers, who were cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting.
Jamal Samuel Bell, 28, has been charged in 2nd District Court with four counts of assault against a peace officer, second-degree felonies; and criminal mischief, a Class A misdemeanor.
Police released body camera footage of the shooting in April. On Tuesday, Harrisville officials released a statement announcing that the Weber County attorney’s office had ruled that the police had been justified in their use of deadly force:
"The officers did everything they could to try to resolve the situation without using lethal force and gave Bell every opportunity to end the situation peacefully. The city is grateful that the officers were not physically injured and that their body camera recordings captured what occurred during the chilling confrontation with Bell."
(Warning: The video posted on YouTube by The Standard-Examiner includes graphic violence.)
On March 23, police arrived at an apartment at 2510 N. Charleston Ave. in Harrisville after neighbors reported a loud argument between a man and a woman “both inside and outside” the apartment that “had been going on for approximately an hour and was getting more aggressive, with items being thrown and doors being slammed.”
Officers discovered that the door to the apartment had been forced open, and when they identified themselves from just outside the residence, Bell walked toward them with “two large knives, one in each hand, and what was described as a glare on his face.” The officers drew their guns and ordered Bell to stop; Bell continued to walk toward them as they backed up 22 feet.
One officer switched to his Taser, and Bell turned around to walk back into the apartment, still carrying the knives. The officer fired his Taser at Bell, but it did not make contact.
Bell closed the apartment door, but one officer kicked it open and both officers ordered Bell to drop the knives. Two more officers arrived and, according to the probable cause statement, police ordered Bell to drop his weapons 18 times. One officer told him if he took one more step in their direction he would be shot.
“Bell was approximately 8 feet away from the officers with knives in his hands and advancing towards them” when three of the officers “all fired their weapons.” Bell was struck nine times; he was transported to McKay Dee Hospital, and survived his wounds.
According to the woman in the apartment, she and Bell had been in a relationship for nine years “but were in the process of separating.” She said Bell “came home intoxicated and they started to argue.” She had locked him out of the apartment, but he broke down the door and damaged or destroyed several items, she said.