SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (TheBlaze/AP) — A woman has criticized police in the Utah County city of Saratoga Springs over the fatal shooting of her 22-year-old son, saying she believes the outcome would have been different had he not been black.
Susan Hunt of Saratoga Springs said her family wants answers about what happened leading up to Wednesday's shooting by officers of her son, Darrien Hunt.
This photo, taken, Friday, Sept. 12, 2014, shows Susan Hunt holding a photo of her family, including her son, Darrien Hunt, at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah. (Image source: AP/Deseret News, Michelle Tessier)
On Saturday afternoon, law enforcement authorities issued a statement saying that the man lunged at officers with a sword.
Police said they were called about 9:40 a.m. Wednesday to investigate a "suspicious" man walking near businesses along Redwood Road while carrying a "Samurai-type sword," Deseret News reported.
"When the officers made contact with Mr. Hunt, he brandished the sword and lunged toward the officers with the sword, at which time Mr. Hunt was shot," Utah County Chief Deputy Attorney Tim Taylor said in a statement.
Before the statement was issued, Susan Hunt told the Deseret News: "They killed my son because he's black. No white boy with a little sword would they shoot while he's running away.
"Those stupid cops thought they had to murder over a toy. This is my baby. This is my family. And they ruined my family."
Susan Hunt, right, is consoled by her sister, Cindy Moss, as she speaks at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, about her son, Darrien Hunt, who was killed by police Wednesday. (Image source: AP/Deseret News, Michelle Tessier)
More from Deseret News:
Randall Edwards, an attorney for the Hunt family, said Saturday that an independent autopsy was performed at the family's request. He says it shows that Darrien Hunt was shot "numerous times, all from the rear.""This is consistent with statements made by witnesses on the scene, who report that Darrien was shot to death while running away from police," Edwards said in a statement. "It would appear difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile these facts with a story that Darrien was lunging toward the officers when he was shot."
The city on Friday issued a statement saying the shooting was under investigation by the county attorney's office.
"We sympathize with Mr. Hunt's family during this difficult time," the statement says. "Any claim that our officers' actions were a result of Mr. Hunt's race is completely unfounded and speculative. Our officers responded to a call for service and addressed the situation that was presented to them."
In this Sept. 10, 2014, file photo, officers stand at the scene of a shooting in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Police responded to a report of a suspicious person and a short time later shot and killed a male suspect. A woman has criticized police in the Utah County city of Saratoga Springs over the fatal shooting of her 22-year-old son, saying she believes the outcome would have been different had he not been black. (Image source: AP/The Daily Herald, Spenser Heaps, File)
Based on the limited information the family has been given, Susan Hunt said, it believes a shot was fired by police during the confrontation and multiple shots were fired after her son ran away.
Susan Hunt said her son was carrying a Katana, a souvenir sword bought from an Asian gift store that has a rounded edge, not a blade.
His mother is white, and his father is black, the Standard-Examiner of Ogden reported. Susan Hunt had just returned to Utah after separation from her husband to start a new life for the family.
She said she and her family fled from an abusive relationship and her son was still trying to process many emotions.
"My son is a tender heart who would not hurt anybody," she said. "My son is a beautiful, bright-eyed, intelligent boy."
