Salt Lake police chief meets with lawmakers after deadly shooting at 'No Kings' protest

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City's police chief appeared on Utah’s Capitol Hill on Wednesday, just days after a deadly shooting at a downtown protest. Chief Brian Redd’s meetings with lawmakers were not open to the public or media. He spoke in the House Republican caucus as well as the Democratic caucuses in both the House and Senate. Redd didn’t have much to say beforehand as he walked through the Capitol, telling reporters that police will “continue to investigate” the shooting Saturday at the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City that led to the death of an innocent bystander. The police chief said largely the same thing to lawmakers, citing the active investigation.“To be honest, I was hoping to get more details,” House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said Wednesday during a media availability, while adding he and other GOP lawmakers understood the investigation is still ongoing. “That was very well respected in our caucus.”  The shooting Saturday evening led to the death of Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, who was one of an estimated 10,000 people who attended the rally protesting Trump administration policies. Salt Lake police said an event “peacekeeper” was shooting at another man who witnesses reported was wielding a gun and acting suspiciously. That man, Arturo Roberto Gamboa, 24, was also hit and taken to the hospital before being booked into jail on suspicion of murder. As of late Wednesday afternoon, Gamboa was still incarcerated in the Salt Lake County Jail but had not been charged.Lawmakers said Redd kept investigation details to a minimum during their meetings with him, although Senate Democrats said the chief confirmed that the “peacekeepers” at the protest did not coordinate with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Despite getting few answers, legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle expressed confidence in Redd and his department as they look into the shooting. “I’m 100% confident in Salt Lake City’s police department. I really am,” Schultz said. “I believe that it’ll be treated fairly, (and) they’ll do the proper investigation.”“I know personally Chief Redd with his experience with the (Utah) Highway Patrol, and I've seen his work,” said Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City. “I'm confident he'll get us to the place where they're going to answer all those questions that we have.” Still, Escamilla acknowledged the limited information about what happened. “People are demanding answers, and our communities are demanding answers, which is why we asked him to come,” Escamilla said, emphasizing the importance of freedom of speech and expression through protest. “It’s part of our constitutional rights, and people should feel safe doing it.”The Salt Lake City Police Department declined to make Redd available for an interview Wednesday, noting detectives are still processing evidence. “At this stage, commenting on specific evidence would be inappropriate and premature. Our focus is on conducting a thorough, impartial and fact-driven investigation to ensure the integrity and fairness of any future legal proceedings,” said police spokesperson Brent Weisberg. “We appreciate the public’s patience and importantly, trust, as we work through this investigation. We are not able to provide any additional comment on the investigation outside the previously released information.”

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