Police release multiple body cam videos from officer-involved shooting
Dec 15, 2021, 3:58 PM | Updated: 8:13 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – West Valley Police released multiple body camera videos of an officer-involved shooting that left one suspect dead, two officers wounded, and a baby who was rescued from the suspect’s vehicle.
The officers recovered from their injuries and returned home shortly after the shootout on Dec. 1 at a convenience store parking lot in Taylorsville, Utah.
The police department made the edited videos available to the media on Wednesday in a recorded video briefing.
Police were looking for 20-year-old Anei Joker that night. West Valley Police said during Wednesday’s briefing that Joker was wanted for the rape of a child, domestic violence, and criminal mischief.
Ten officers from multiple police agencies responded to the scene and police released body camera footage from each of them. There were other people in the car with Joker. He allowed them to get out of the car but shortly after their release police discovered a 9-month-old baby was still in the car with Joker.
Police successfully negotiated with Joker to release the child. One of the videos showed an officer taking the child from the car and walking it to safety. Police continued to negotiate with Joker and about 30 minutes later the video showed an officer firing several pepper balls into Joker’s vehicle.
Thirty minutes later Joker opened the passenger-side door.
“From the angle of Officer C’s camera you can see a gun in Joker’s right hand,”West Valley Deputy Chief Mike Fosso said.
A few seconds later multiple guns shots were heard on several of the body cam videos. The video from Officer C also showed a cloud of debris just in front of him. He stumbled backward and you could hear him say to the officers, “I’ve been hit.”
Other videos from officers who were watching from around the corner of the store showed a man said to be Joker’s brother. Once the gunfire stopped, the man tried to run to the shooting scene but the officers grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground.
The man cried out, “My brother!” several times.
Police then handcuffed him and the man kept yelling, “I’m not going to do anything.” He also said, “Did you guys kill my brother?”
The Officer-Involved Critical Incident Protocol Team is investigating.
Roxeanne Vainuku, spokeswoman for the West Valley City Police Department said the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office and West Valley PD will review the investigation to determine if any of the officers violated use of force policies or laws.
