Officials released video Friday morning of a deadly exchange between two Roy City (Utah) police officers and a trespassing suspect at a gas station in February.
Two unidentified officers were in a fight with Nicolas Sanchez, 39, in the parking lot of the Texaco Station at 4395 South 1900 West when several shots were fired and Sanchez was hit.
One of the officers who shot Sanchez did so with a gun that he had grabbed from Sanchez seconds earlier.
The video shows a glimpse of a gun tucked into the suspect’s waistband.
Upon the officers immediately telling Sanchez not to touch the gun, Sanchez backs away and one officer tries to grab him. Sanchez runs, and as one officer chases and tackles him, the second officer fires multiple gunshots.
According to a department attorney, the officer who tackled Sanchez knocked the man’s gun loose and then fired shots at Sanchez with Sanchez’s gun.
Sanchez died at the scene.
The officer fired at the suspect because he was worried Sanchez may have had another weapon.
Neither officer was hurt in the incident.
The department released the following statement, “We believe that the officers acted appropriately. They did what they were trained and expected to do under the circumstances.”