These officers are under investigation, but Salt Lake City can’t get its story straight

SALT LAKE CITY — Two officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department are facing an internal affairs investigation after they declined first aid to a stabbing victim.

The circumstances surrounding that case have left people wondering whether Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Chief Mike Brown already made up their minds long before the investigation began.

Instead of giving first aid, Officer Ian Anderson and Officer Jadah Brown stood over the victim for approximately eight minutes as he bled out in an elevator.

Ryan Outlaw, 39, had already waited approximately 27 minutes for police to arrive after the first 911 call.

He died 2 hours, 10 minutes after the first 911 call.

FOX 13 Investigates: Despite training, SLCPD stands over stabbing victim instead of giving first aid

Fernanda Tobar, his girlfriend, is the one who stabbed him.

She and Outlaw both begged officers to help him.

“You’re not doing anything about it!” Tobar yelled. “Why are you letting him just lay like that?”

“We’re not paramedics,” Officer Anderson responded. “We have medical on the way.”

Officer Anderson and Officer Brown were both trained in first aid.

Although the incident occurred on November 13, 2020, the city did not launch an internal affairs investigation until after FOX 13 News published its first story about the case on August 3, 2022.

Initially, the city tried to stipulate it was launching “only a review” of the case, not a “formal investigation.”

As the investigation progressed, Mayor Mendenhall and Chief Brown repeatedly made statements on the officers’ behalf.

Those statements directly contradict.

“There remained an active threat to everyone present that night, including the medical personnel,” Mendenhall wrote. "We are confident our officers made the best decisions they could in a very dynamic situation."

But according to a timeline released by SLCPD, the “scene was safe for paramedics” within two minutes of officers arriving.

FOX 13 News spent months making several attempts to get clarification from Mayor Mendenhall. She eventually agreed to an interview before a Salt Lake City Council meeting in September.

“I can’t make comments on a pending investigation that is happening right now,” she said. “We don’t want to affect the integrity of the case by casting opinions about it.”

Within minutes, Mayor Mendenhall said she was too busy, took off her microphone, and walked away from the interview.

Weeks later, she rescheduled but still declined to comment about the case or clarify her previous statements supporting the officers.

FOX 13 investigation prompts Salt Lake City to open ‘review’ into death of man who officers refused to help

Mayor Mendenhall confirmed the FOX 13 News investigation in August prompted SLCPD to open the internal affairs case.

“Let me thank you sincerely for doing the investigative work that you do,” she said. “It caused enough of an interest with the chief of police that he said, ‘Let’s take another look at this case.’”

Chief Brown disagreed.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it was something that we’ve been looking at, and it was something that we felt we needed more answers... I don’t know what was in their minds. I wouldn’t even venture as guess as to what was going through their minds.”

Thankfully, we don’t have to guess.

Officer Anderson wrote in his report that he couldn’t give first aid because Outlaw was in an elevator, and he didn’t want the elevator door to close.

That explanation has shocked law enforcement professionals across the state.

“If the elevator closing and leaving the floor is so important, pull the person out!” said former SLCPD Chief Chris Burbank.

“I would have pulled the individual out, had (Tobar) secured with the other officer, and did my best to apply pressure,” said Matt Evans, a former SLCPD internal affairs sergeant. “Maybe they need more training, or maybe they need to be reevaluated to see how they handle stressful situations.”

Chief Brown referred to the scene as “very chaotic.”

“I think we should wait before we cast any judgment on that call,” said Chief Brown. “Absolutely, I stand by these officers and what they did that day. I think they did a great job.”

“Then why open an investigation?” asked FOX 13 News investigative reporter Adam Herbets.

“If there are way to improve, we will,” said Chief Brown.

FOX 13 News asked Mayor Mendenhall if she wants SLCPD officers to be able and willing to give first aid.

“I want our officers to be safe,” she responded. “That’s their job.”

Evans said he was disappointed with the way Mayor Mendenhall and Chief Brown have handled the case, particularly because their comments surrounding the investigation are at odds.

“It's just contradictory talk, as far as I’m concerned,” Evans said. “I think they’re running scared... I don’t think that’s good communication at all.”

Tobar was charged with murder but convicted on a lesser crime that did not result in a prison sentence.

She and her mother worry the city has already made up its mind about the “so-called” investigation.

They believe the case is an example of systemic racism.

“They could have saved his life,” Tobar said. “They stuck together, and I’m not surprised... What happened was an accident. I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“It’s been a nightmare. It’s been a nightmare,” said her mother, Luisa Tapia-Hogle. “When you call 911, how do you know if a good officer or bad officer will arrive? … It was like just another Black man hurt, but that Black man was a human being. The law should be equal for everyone.”

Despite multiple interviews on the case, a spokesperson for SLCPD declined to comment on whether the internal affairs investigation is still active.

A source close to the investigation told FOX 13 News the case is “wrapping up."

SLCPD sent an updated statement on December 21, 2022.

“The Salt Lake City Police Department stands by its officers. When responding to an emergency, officers must prioritize the overall situation to help ensure the safety of the scene, safety of themselves and other officers and community members. Officers must also rely on, and consider, the full extent of their individualized training, experience and available first aid equipment when determining whether it is safe to render medical aid. In this situation, after contacting Mr. Outlaw and confirming an injury, officers immediately called for a medical response, provided a timely update on Mr. Outlaw’s medical condition to emergency dispatchers and worked quickly and safely to process a volatile scene with little information while dealing with an uncooperative suspect who created a significant officer safety issue. For the officers to separate would have been unsafe and ill-advised. We support our officers and stand by their actions.”