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SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah has launched a review of circumstances surrounding the death of Darrien Hunt, the 22-year-old Saratoga Springs man shot and killed by police while carrying a samurai sword in public last September.
The review, to be conducted in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the FBI, will attempt to determine if the officers' actions violated federal law.
Although the Utah County attorney ruled the shooting justified in November, Hunt's mother filed a civil suit against Saratoga Springs and two city police officers last month. Susan Hunt claims the officers violated her son's Second Amendment rights by asking him to surrender his sword before shooting him in the back in what she calls an act of racially motivated violence.
The U.S. Attorney's Office plans to give Susan Hunt and her representation an opportunity to provide the office with "any evidence they believe is relevant for … consideration," according to a letter received Friday by Robert Sykes, Susan Hunt's attorney. The letter was the office's first announcement of the investigation.
Heather White, the attorney representing Saratoga Springs in the lawsuit, said the city has been expecting the review for some time.
"We understand that these types of reviews are regularly conducted on high-profile cases throughout the country," White said. "The city has not yet been asked for any information but welcomes the review and will cooperate with the Department of Justice in conducting that review."
According to the letter received by Sykes, the U.S. Attorney's Office hopes to collect all pertinent evidence by March 25. Results of the review are expected to follow.
The FBI declined to comment on the federal review.
Contributing: Andrew Adams
Allison Oligschlaeger is currently studying English and Arabic at the University of Utah while completing an internship with the Deseret News. Contact her at aoligschlaeger@deseretnews.com.
