SALT LAKE CITY — The FOX 13 Investigates team has learned from several sources within the Salt Lake City Police Department that the agency’s communications director is facing allegations of responding to a murder scene while under the influence of alcohol.
Brent Weisberg, whose job is to relay critical information to the public, arrived on scene Saturday night.
Detectives said a 14-year-old shot and killed a 17-year-old and got away. SLCPD spent the weekend engaged in an active search in which public safety information needed to be relayed.
According to several officers and administrators, Weisberg was reported for being under the influence of alcohol after he arrived on scene.
SLCPD Chief Mike Brown has spent several days refusing to answer questions about the case.
FOX 13 News has been sending multiple requests to the department for information since Monday.
The department would not confirm any information related to the incident.
The department would not say if Weisberg is under investigation.
The department would not say whether an outside agency was called to investigate.
The department would not say if Weisberg drove his police car that night.
The department would not say if anyone tested Weisberg’s blood alcohol content, and if so, what the results were.
SLCPD would not confirm if Weisberg is still employed by the department, whether Weisberg was fired, or whether Weisberg is on administrative leave.
Instead, the department stated it does “not comment on employment matters.”
The agency’s handling of the case and lack of communication has concerned high-level officers who said they were afraid to speak publicly due to the potential for retaliation.
Matt Evans, a retired internal affairs sergeant for SLCPD, said the department’s mishandling of the case has likely caused current officers and members of the public to “speculate.”
"Which is the worst thing that can happen for a police department, for (the public) to wonder and guess and feel like information is being hidden,” Evans said.
Evans said, even if SLCPD is not ready to divulge details surrounding the case, the department should still confirm Weisberg’s employment status.
He said the department’s policy on drinking alcohol “is very clear,” regardless of whether the SLCPD employee is an officer or civilian.
“He’s the face of the department,” Evans said. “He still works for the police department. He’s in charge of police officers, and he’s in a leadership position. I think he’s actually held to a higher standard.”
Weisberg is not a sworn officer, but he is one of the department’s most influential decision-makers, according to senior officers. They described him as a “very close” advisor to Chief Brown.
As the department’s communications director, Weisberg supervises police officers tasked with public information duties.
Evans said it is critically important for public information officers to be sober while on duty.
“There’s always information that should be released and information that shouldn’t be released (after a homicide),” Evans said. “You want somebody on scene who’s very clear-headed, knows what they’re doing, and is not going to make easy mistakes.”
FOX 13 News has filed a public records request for body camera video footage showing Weisberg on Saturday night, which has not yet been released.
Weisberg has not responded to requests for comment.