Utah Governor Declares State of Emergency After Violent Protests

Protests in Utah have escalated after the the shooting death of a man at the hands of two police officers was determined to be justified. On May 23rd, Salt Lake City Officers Neil Iversen and Keith Fortuna responded to reports of someone making “threats with a weapon”. They encountered 22-year-old Bernardo Carbajal who they reported tried to pick up his gun more than once when confronted. Believing they were in imminent danger, they fired off 34 shots, hitting him 13 to 15 times, killing him. After an investigation, the Salt Lake County District Attorney confirmed the shooting was justified and determined no charges would be pressed. The decision was met by extreme outrage and protests broke out across the city. They gathered in particular outside the DA’s office building and even damaged it. At least one officer was injured and at least two protesters were arrested. Utah’s governor has declared a state of emergency that is supposed to last through the weekend as a result of the unrest.