Shooting of Abdullahi Omar Mohamed
 Location of Salt Lake City, within Salt Lake County, and Utah. | |
| Time | c. 8:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Date | February 27, 2016 |
| Location | 200 South Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, U.S. |
| Non-fatal injuries | Abdullahi "Abdi" Omar Mohamed |
The shooting of Abdullahi Omar Mohamed occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 27, 2016. Mohamed, a 17-year-old Somali refugee, was shot and injured by police after allegedly being involved in a confrontation with another person. The shooting led to protests, immediate civil unrest, and later controversy.[1]
Abdi Mohamed
Mohamed was born in Somalia, and had lived in a refugee camp in Kenya. He moved to Utah with his family when he was six years old.[2]
The shooting and unrest
At 8:00 p.m., Mohamed became involved an altercation with another man at 200 South Rio Grande Street in downtown Salt Lake City when officers were called to the scene. He was holding a metal broomstick at the time, and officers asked him to put it down. When he did not drop the broomstick, he was shot four times.[3] Abdullahi was left in critical condition.
Following the shooting, many locals in the downtown area began to throw rocks and bottles at police. The police deployed 100 riot officers and barricaded four city blocks.[4]
Aftermath
Mohamed became comatose following his injuries, and had awaken from his medically-induced coma on March 13.[5]
Response
Protests followed in the days after the incident, criticizing the police's use of force. On February 29, 1,000 people rallied and marched in Salt Lake City. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the police use of force and riot removal tactics.[6][7]
See also
References
- ↑ "Body camera footage withheld in Salt Lake City shooting". Tribune Live. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ↑ Whitehurst, Lindsay (March 5, 2016). "17-year-old shot by police in Utah had fled violence in Somali refugee camp". Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Salt Lake police battle rock throwers after shooting". USA Today. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Salt Lake City police shooting raises questions". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ↑ Crothers, Don (March 13, 2016). "Abdi Mohamed: Teen shot by Salt Lake City police awakens from coma". The Inquisitr. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Salt Lake City Police Shooting Triggers Protest, Questions". abc NEWS. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Hundreds rally in downtown Salt Lake to protest police shooting of teen". KSL.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||