SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City police officers who shot a 17-year-old boy were "not within" department policy, according to a Police Civilian Review Board.
The board released their own report Friday afternoon regarding the shooting of Abdi Mohamed.
"This was a very difficult case and the board, the panel, spent a great deal of time reviewing the videos, going over the evidence," said Rick Rasmussen, spokesman for the review board.
Mohamed, a Somali refugee, was shot twice by police outside the Road Home on Rio Grande in February. District Attorney Sim Gill ruled the shooting was justified because officers believed Mohamed was going to seriously injure or kill another man with a metal stick.
However, the Police Civilian Review Board concluded that officers could have used methods other than deadly force, which is a violation of city policy.
"You have a taser, a baton, you may have OC spray, and then you have your fists and lastly you have your weapon," said Rasmussen.
Since the shooting, there have been multiple protests directed at Gill, calling for his resignation. Gill says there is a big difference between breaking city policy and breaking the law.
"Our functions are fundamentally very different," said Gill. "You could be out of uniform, that's a policy violation, but there may not be any criminal liability for that."
Gill says the Civilian Review Board's findings will have no impact on their own investigation.
"As far as their report, you know, I looked at it and I'm trying to still make sense of how they got to the conclusion that they did," said Gill.
The Salt Lake City Police Department released this statement.
"The department values and takes seriously all input, which helps us implement suggestions and training that benefit our employees and the community we serve."
Abdi Mohamed was seriously injured in the shooting. He has also been charged in the case, with aggravated robbery and drug possession. His attorney did not return FOX 13's request for comment.
Click here to see the full investigation report.
