SALT LAKE CITY — Police are investigating the weekend vandalism of a mural memorializing George Floyd.
On Sunday, someone threw black tar on the mural, which is painted on the side of a building located at 300 West and 800 South. The mural, a pop art-style portrait of George Floyd's face, has become a makeshift memorial alongside the images of others who have been killed by police.
The Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed to FOX 13 it has opened an investigation into the vandalism and whether the actions constituted a hate crime under Utah's new law. (The Salt Lake County District Attorney would make the ultimate determination on whether to charge as such.)
Because the mural was already painted over, a police department spokesperson said they were actively seeking information, videos or photos that could point to a suspect.
Political leaders and celebrities have decried the vandalism of the mural.
"To the person or persons responsible for vandalizing it: stop," wrote Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a tweet thread on Monday.
I'm thankful to see Salt Lake City's portrait of George Floyd restored. What happened to it is disgusting, intended to hurt and to cause fear. But SLC is not afraid. We're going to keep moving forward in our pursuit of racial equity and rooting out systemic racism. #utpol #slc pic.twitter.com/oKkMFfKl17
— SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) June 22, 2020
Utah Jazz Guard Donovan Mitchell praised the artists for quickly restoring it.
Resilience!!! ❤️🙏🏾💯 https://t.co/wTpF0OwsYw
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 21, 2020
