West Valley City, UT – Police have been silent since they released footage of Elijah Smith’s murder at the hands of a trigger-happy cop, but there was no silence May 3 as protesters took over the West Valley City Police Department lobby. For two solid hours, chants of “Justice for Elijah!” and “Community control now!” filled every inch of the small space, and when protesters could chant no longer, they shared stories about why they fight police violence and talked about what they think community control should look like.

Behind a counter with glass windows, cops remorselessly laughed and played on their phones while organizers called for justice and explained the long history of WVCPD’s violence and corruption to the crowd. One officer raised his hands in the air and made a disgraceful mocking face while more than 20 people chanted “Hands up! Don’t shoot!.”

UAPB organizer Carly Halderman refused to accept the cops’ disrespectful attitude and pounded on the glass as she yelled “Black lives matter!” She kept everyone’s energy focused and elevated for the remainder of the sit-in, leading chants and telling those gathered that we need an independent, democratic body to oversee and investigate police.

Elijah Smith, an African American, was murdered April 8 while seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was. His family believes that he ‘matched the description’ only because of the color of his skin.

As he fled in fear from a department known for its corruption, Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home, where an officer shot and killed him while he tried to comply with their orders to raise his hands. Officials say he ‘rapidly’ raised his right hand. Three unattended young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

UAPB organizer Jacob Jensen demanded to hear from WVCPD Chief Colleen Jacobs. He pointed out that WVCPD officers simultaneously shot Smith and deployed a Taser, and demanded to know which officer acted correctly.

“They can’t both be right,” Jensen said. “If the cop who used a less-than-lethal method was correct, then the cop who killed Elijah was wrong.”

Chief Jacobs refused to appear and meet with demonstrators.

Organizers said they aren’t done yet and plan on leading more actions until the killer cop is named, fired, charged and jailed.

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #UtahAgainstPoliceBrutality

West Valley City, UT – Elijah Smith was desperately trying to put his right arm in the air in order to comply with police orders when a still-unnamed officer fired the shots that took his life. His left was already raised, and he posed absolutely no threat, according to body camera footage released after police caved to activist demands and recently made the video public.

Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) responded with a rally on April 21, where more than 50 supporters came out to demand that the cop be fired, charged and jailed for his crime. They shouted “No justice, no peace!” and “Community control now!” as they gathered on the steps of West Valley’s city hall.

A moment of silence was held for the 20-year-old Black man taken by police violence; his funeral was held the same day, attended by family and close friends.

“We need to feel the loss of those souls and come together to demand better,” said UAPB organizer Jade Arter. “For them, for us, for their children and for our children, for our future.”

Smith was murdered while seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was. His family believes that he ‘matched the description’ only because of the color of his skin.

As he fled in fear from a department known for its corruption, Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home, where an officer shot and killed him while he tried to comply with their orders to raise his hands. Officials say he ‘rapidly’ raised his right hand. Three unattended young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

Gabriella Killpack, a UPS co-worker of Smith, vowed to keep up the pressure on WVCPD until the killer cop is fired and charged.

Carly Halderman, an organizer with UAPB, called for real, comprehensive community control of police, including an elected body with the power to investigate shootings, subpoena testimony, fire killer cops, and oversee police policy.

“Why are police policing the police? It makes no sense,” Halderman said. “It is completely absurd that we would have them investigate themselves.”

Brown Berets activist Shirley Reyes spoke about how the continued killings of people of color is a reflection of continued racism. She called for all killer cops to be held accountable.

“Shame on that killer cop, and all those who shoot first and ask questions later,” she said. “We will be here to make sure every single trigger happy cop is held accountable for their actions!”

Black Lives Matter leader Lex Scott spoke about how authorities use police power to keep black and brown people oppressed, pointing out that a huge proportion of Ferguson, Missouri residents had active warrants at the time of Michael Brown’s murder in 2014. She said this is one way police keep people under control.

“When we hold this protest in front of West Valley City PD, it’s because we want them to hear this message and really see the power of the people,” she said.

Her speech was interrupted by a white supremacist shouting “White power!” from a nearby car. Protesters reacted with overwhelming shouts of “Fuck white supremacy!”

UAPB activist Francesca Ball ended the rally with a deeply emotional appeal to end police violence. She carried signs bearing the names of close to a dozen people killed by Utah police in recent years, people like Darrien Hunt, Patrick Harmon, Corey Kanosh, Dillon Taylor – and now Elijah Smith.

“How many more signs like this do we need to make?” she pleaded. “How many names? How many different names?”

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Utah #Antiracism #SaltLakeCity #ElijahSmith

West Valley City, UT – It was Elijah Smith’s smile that came up again and again, April 14, as roughly 75 protesters gathered to demand justice for the young Black man murdered by West Valley City police exactly one week earlier. It was a smile that caught everyone’s attention and brought light and levity to all who saw it, according to his friends and family. It was a smile that no one will have the privilege of seeing again due to the racist, corrupt, and violent practices of the West Valley City police department.

“He was always the one who was lifting other people up,” said Smith’s mother, Roshawna Carter, at a press conference before the rally.

Teamsters from Local 222 and organizers from Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) called the rally on the steps of city hall in West Valley. Smith was a Teamster who worked at the local UPS hub until recently. Protesters demanded the officers involved in the killing be fired and that the murdering officer be jailed. They also called for the release of body camera footage of the murder and community control of Utah’s police.

They chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” “Release the footage!” and “Community control now!” as they mourned the loss of beloved Elijah.

“Something needs to be done about this and quick,” said Willie Townsend, Elijah’s grandfather, at the press conference. “We are tired of running. We are tired of hiding. We are tired. We are suffering.” Townsend also called for the officer who killed Elijah to be jailed.

Smith was murdered while seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was. His family believes that he ‘matched the description’ only because of the color of his skin.

As he fled in fear from a department known for its corruption, Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home, where an officer shot and killed him. Three unattended young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

Smith’s cousin, Monte Brown, told the crowd about how they used to make music together. Smith dreamed of success as a rapper. Brown also mentioned that they had more than one conversation about how they, as young Black men, feared racist police.

“I want justice for my cousin and my family,” he said. “Because this wasn’t right.”

UAPB organizer Dave Newlin spoke about the long criminal history of the West Valley City police department (WVCPD), including the 2012 murder of Danielle Willard by officer Shawn Cowley and the disbanded drug unit that was found to have stolen drugs and money, as well as mishandling evidence. Over 100 cases have been thrown out due to the illegal practices of drug unit officers. No officers were fired as a result. The unit has since been recreated.

“They are the absolute epitome of everything that is wrong with policing in the state of Utah and in the U.S.,” Newlin said. “This is one of the most corrupt, violent and awful police departments in the state of Utah and I want to make sure we don’t forget that.”

WVC cops have recently committed several other acts of brutality. One officer shot the teenage driver of a car in mid-March. Police officials say the car had “lurched” forward as the officer approached it. No footage or further information has been released regarding the incident.

WVCPD officers also invaded the home of a grieving family in late February. A young couple’s baby had died at a local hospital just hours before. When a family member refused to let the officers into the home as they recovered from their loss, the officers kicked down the door, assaulted several people inside, used pepper spray on family members, and illegally searched the home. Family members released footage of the incident they had recorded as it occurred. The two officers who committed the assaults have been reassigned but not fired.

“We’re tired of watching this happen, coming home to this news, and feeling this way about the city we live in,” said Francesca Ball, an organizer with Utah Against Police Brutality. “We are here for each other, and we want the community to have control now. Community control now! We will fight for it until you give it to us.”

UAPB organizer Deborah Blake demanded body camera footage be released immediately.

“We want the footage released before it is doctored and edited to fit their narrative,” she said. “The family deserves to know what happened. We the public demand it. That’s our footage.”

After the rally ended, a half-dozen WVCPD officers exited city hall and walked to their vehicles. The remaining protesters spontaneously gathered again to shout “No more racist police!” “Murderers!” and “Justice for Elijah!”

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #UtahAgainstPoliceBrutality #ElijahSmith #TeamstersLocal222

Few details are currently available on what happened, except the sparse pieces of information released by police. The department is withholding body camera footage of the killing and the events leading up to it.

Nevertheless, it appears that Smith was seeking refuge from police who chased him as they searched for a suspect in an alleged robbery. Officials from the department say Smith matched the description of the suspect, though they have not specified exactly what that description was.

Smith entered two houses in the area of 3400 South and Redwood Road as he fled in fear from West Valley City (WVC) cops, a department that is known to be both violent and corrupt. Three WVC officers followed Smith into the second home where an officer shot and killed him. Three young children were present inside the home. Smith died at the scene.

Smith was a Teamster who worked at the local UPS hub until recently. His UPS coworkers have planned a protest for Saturday, April 14, at 4 p.m. at the WVC police department headquarters to demand justice.

“What right did [the WVCPD officer] have to traumatize the three innocent children for years to come?” asked UPS coworker Parker Heywood. “The police officer did not serve and protect on Sunday, and many lives will forever be affected. I hope that the police officer will receive the punishment that he deserves. No one should be above the law, including police officers!”

WVC cops have recently committed several other acts of brutality. One officer shot the teenage driver of a car in mid-March. Police officials say the car had “lurched” forward as the officer approached it. No footage or further information has been released regarding the incident.

WCV officers also invaded the home of a grieving family in late February. A young couple’s baby had died at a local hospital just hours before. When a family member refused to let the officers into the home as they recovered from their loss, the officers kicked down the door, assaulted several people inside, used pepper spray on family members, and illegally searched the home. Family members released footage of the incident they had recorded as it occurred. The two officers who committed the assaults have been reassigned but not fired.

The WVC department is also known for corruption. Its infamous drug unit was disbanded in 2012 in the wake of the killing of Danielle Willard. WVC cops in the unit were found to be stealing money, drugs, and ‘trophies’ from alleged crime scenes, stealing and/or misplacing evidence and illegally using GPS tracking devices without warrants. The drug-unit officer who killed Willard in 2012 during a sting operation was later fired after the shooting was found to be illegal. A judge dismissed the criminal case against the officer, who was then reinstated to the department before resigning with back pay. The drug unit has since been relaunched.

Protest organizers are demanding the release of footage of Elijah James Smith’s killing, firing of the officers involved in the death, and an end to WVCPD’s violent tactics. The event will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 14 at 3600 South Constitution Boulevard in West Valley.

More information can be found on Facebook at the “Justice for Elijah James Smith!” event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/159804091367395/

#WestValleyCityUT #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #AntiRacism #Utah #killerCops