After a 25-year-old man was shot and killed by police in Utah, his family has said that they found out about his death via news reports.
Chase Allan died on Wednesday after an altercation involving officers in Farmington, north of Salt Lake City.
His family now say he’s the victim in what they call a “brutal murder”. They added that police have been unwilling to answer questions about what happened.
The shooting took place during what police have said was a regular traffic stop. But the family tells Fox 13 News that after Mr Allan’s “devastating and tragic” death, police have “stonewalled” them as they attempt to understand what took place.
Diane Allan, the 25-year-old’s mother, told the local TV station in a statement that “our family has not been permitted to see Chase and has not been contacted by authorities or justice departments with information surrounding this investigation”.
“Our family was not properly notified of Chase’s death as next of kin. We found out about Chase’s death along with the entirety of our community via news reporters and articles written online,” she added.
Mr Allan graduated from Davis High School in 2016 and went on to play soccer at the University of California, Davis and Utah State University.
His mother said he had recently been studying law. She wrote that he “was a gracious, loving soul who was known by everyone in his community to be caring, thoughtful, and kind and would do anything for someone in need”.
“He was always selflessly helping and protecting others in need,” she added.
Ms Allan wrote that her son was “likely terrified for his safety” during the shooting. She added that law enforcement discharged their weapons at his car at least 12 times.
Pending an investigation into the shooting, the five officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, according to Fox 13.
Mr Allan was living at home in the area where he grew up at the time of his death.
“Although he had a shy and quiet demeanor, he was able to make quick friends who cared about Chase deeply and will remember him fondly,” Ms Allan wrote.
She added that he “was a patriot doing what he could to defend the people’s freedom and liberty in his community”.
The shooting on 1 March took place “in the parking lot of our local Farmington City Post Office,” the mother wrote.
“Chase was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, peer, teammate, student, and neighbor amongst many other important roles he played within our community,” she added.
The mother said the family has “learned more from media coverage about what occurred than anywhere else” and that “Officers claim it was a routine traffic stop, yet the officer requested multiple other officers to the scene a couple blocks prior to the stop”.
“This resulted in the brutal murder of Chase at the hands of 5 Farmington Police officers, with them shooting him while he was still in his automobile and likely terrified for his safety. They shot 12 plus rounds at him while he was still inside the car with the engine running and lights on when reporters arrived,” she said.
Ms Allan added in her statement that “our family has not been permitted to see Chase and has not been contacted by authorities or justice departments with information surrounding this investigation”.
The Independent has reached out to the Farmington Police Department for comment.
