Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Utah State Capitol Saturday for a vigil honoring Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal. (Photo: Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Utah State Capitol Saturday for a vigil honoring Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal — a 22-year-old who was shot and killed by Salt Lake police officers while he was running away.
Protesters were met with heavy rain, but remained at the Capitol — noting it was proof that “even heaven weeps today.”
The SLCPD released body cam footage of the encounter Friday night, sparking outrage from Palacios’ family members and protesters across the state. The video shows Palacios was shot 20 times in the back as he fled. Now, demonstrators are calling for justice — demanding charges and firings of the officers involved.
Jacob Klopfenstein with KSL.com reported there were at least 500 people gathered at the Capitol by 5:45 p.m., with several highway patrol officers guarding the building. The Capitol has since been closed to the public after Gov. Gary Herbert issued a state of emergency last week in response to violent protests in Salt Lake City.
The Capitol building had previously been vandalized during initial protests for George Floyd — which was cleaned by professionals after Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a citywide curfew.
During the vigil Saturday, speakers spoke about their memories of Palacios — saying he embodied Rose Park. They also said he loved his mother, with memories of him protecting his mother once during an earthquake.
This story is developing and will be updated.