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SLC Police release body cam video from fatal shooting

Posted at 1:30 PM, May 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-02 19:22:00-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Police Department has released body camera footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on April 18.

According to a statement from SLCPD, officers went to a home at 1132 E Princeton Ave. after dispatch received a 9-1-1 call about domestic violence.

Police said the 9-1-1- caller reported her boyfriend, 32-year-old Delorean Pikyavit, had been assaulting her, breaking out windows and making suicidal threats, and he had been holding half of a pair of scissors to his neck.

"At the time of this call, Pikyavit was a wanted parole fugitive, who had walked away from Fortitude Treatment Center, a half-way house, and had an active felony warrant for child endangerment," the statement said.

Officers asked nearby schools to "shelter in place" as they investigated the situation.

A report from SLCPD said officers spoke with the woman who called 9-1-1, and she had visible signs of assault.

"Having followed the victim to the house next door, [Pikyavit] was on the sidewalk when officers approached and tried to talk to him. He ran back to 1132 Princeton Ave. and went inside the house. Officers made multiple attempts to contact Pikyavit and observed him holding two edged weapons," the report said.

A negotiator with SLCPD and a SWAT team were both called to the scene.

At 12:53 p.m., Pikyavit made comments about "going out with a bang," the report said, and officers reported smelling a strong odor of gas about an hour later.

Pikyavit also alluded to igniting a lighter and SWAT turned off the gas at the house, according to police.

At 1:50 p.m., Pikyavit exited the home with a bladed weapon in each hand, saying 'shoot me.'," the report said.

"Negotiators immediately engaged Pikyavit as he exited the home, telling him to sit down and drop the weapons, multiple times. Over the course of about a minute and a half, officers commanded Pikyavit to 'sit down' over 9 times and to 'drop the weapon' over 11 times in addition to other commands, which he did not respond to," the report from SLCPD said.

In the body camera footage, Pikvavit is seen raising the weapons in the air and lowering them, pounding his chest, stepping side to side and making what police described as an aggressive gesture several times.

Two officers shot Pikyavit nearly simultaneously - once with a 40 mm round and once with a .223-caliber round.

A paramedic member of Salt Lake City's SWAT team immediately gave Pikyavit first aid. Pikyavit was then taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition. Pikyavit later died of his injuries.

Acccording to SLCPD, Pikyavit had a criminal history including convictions for possession of methamphetamine, multiple DUIs, interfering with an arresting officer, multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment.