This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Roy on Friday released the body camera footage of police officers shooting and killing a Layton man in February at a gas station in Roy.
The release of the footage was in an effort to be transparent, said Heather White, an attorney for Roy who released the footage. The Weber County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident involving two Roy officers, who are on paid administrative leave.
At about 10 p.m. on Feb. 21, a Roy police officer got into a struggle with an armed man that ended in the two officers shooting 38-year-old Nicolas Sanchez multiple times.
The officers — whose identities have not been released — responded to a call from a convenience store clerk reporting that a man was loitering and "acting suspiciously," said White.
Contributing to the clerk's suspicions, Sanchez had left his car running while he was in the store, located at 1900 West and about 4400 South, according to White.
The bodycam video shows officers telling Sanchez to step away from the convenience store doorway to talk. Sanchez balks, asking what he did, then agrees to talk.
As he steps toward the officers, Sanchez put his right hand in his jeans pocket and an officer tells him to keep his hands visible.
Sanchez then pulls his hand out of his pocket and, as he quickly lifts his sweatshirt, says, "I don't have nothing."
But the video shows a glimpse of a gun tucked into his waistband.
The officers immediately tell Sanchez not to touch the gun.
As Sanchez backs away, one officer tries to grab him. Sanchez runs, and as one officer chases and tackles him, the second officer fires multiple gunshots.
According to White, the officer who tackled Sanchez knocked the man's gun loose and then fired shots at Sanchez with Sanchez's gun. Those details are not clear in the footage.
White did not know whether the second officer was concerned about possibly hitting the officer who was grappling with Sanchez, she told a reporter.
"It was an awfully close proximity," she said. "And, fortunately, he didn't hit the officer when he fired."
Sanchez died at the scene.
The officer fired at the then-unarmed man, White said, because he was worried Sanchez may have had another weapon.
Neither officer was hurt in the incident, White said, adding that each officer had been on the force for a few years.
"We believe that the officers acted appropriately. They did what they were trained and expected to do under the circumstances," said White.
Twitter: @tiffany_mf