- Salt Lake police released footage of an April 3 police shooting.
- Lawrence Vigil, 37, was shot during a "high-risk" search warrant raid.
- Vigil faces multiple charges; the officer involved is on administrative leave.
SALT LAKE CITY — Newly-released body camera footage shows the moment a man was shot as police said he attempted to jump from a third-story window of a Salt Lake apartment during a "high-risk" search warrant raid.
Lawrence Lute Vigil, 37, was taken into custody while the search raid was carried out shortly after midnight on April 3. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail after he was released from a hospital a few days after the incident, and charged in 3rd District Court earlier this week with assault on a peace officer, being a restricted person in possession of a gun and obstruction of justice, all second- or third-degree felonies.
Police said Vigil was shot by an officer working containment outside of the building after he pushed out a window screen while holding what police said appeared to be a handgun, during an apparent escape.
The Salt Lake City Police Department on Friday released a pair of body camera videos from the moments before and after the incident, which happened at the Harper Apartments, 49 S. 800 East.
A SWAT team was brought in because it was deemed "a high-risk search warrant" tied to weapons and drugs, according to police. Both videos are from SWAT team members positioned outside of the apartment.
It's dark and difficult to see, but a flash and bang are visible from one of the windows as officers enter the apartment to carry out the warrant. One of the officers positioned outside the building says, "Window." The officers shine a pair of lights toward another third-story window while identifying themselves from outside the building multiple times.
"We got a guy trying to bail out the window," one of the officers says, moments before a noise is heard from that window, and the officer fires two shots in that direction.
A commotion can be heard from inside the apartment, with screaming coming from different people.
"Please help me. They shot me. They shot me," one person is heard yelling. Another loud bang is heard from inside the apartment, when one person appears to yell, "C'mon man, they're up ... my hands (are) up."
A black handgun was found "just outside of the window, where the officers initially saw him with the gun," according to charging documents. Vigil allegedly told police that he had a pistol and "had gone to the window intending to dispose of it before police found it."
Prosecutors said Vigil was on probation in relation to a third-degree felony burglary case.
Vigil is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court next week. It wasn't immediately clear if he had obtained legal representation in the case, but a federal grand jury also indicted him for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The officer who fired the shot, whose name has not been released, remains on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, which is consistent with department policy.
