SLC Mayor: Officers violated 6 policies in arrest of nurse trying to protect Rigby police officer
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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — An internal investigation found that two Salt Lake City police officers violated six staff policies during the controversial July 26 arrest of University Hospital nurse Alex Wubbels, Mayor Jackie Biskupski revealed Wednesday.
KSL.com reported a civilian review board also found the officers violated policies, she said.
The controversial arrest was captured in police body camera footage that went viral last month. Some of the body camera footage belonged to Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Payne, who arrested Wubbels after she refused to provide a blood sample of a man who was involved in a fatal crash.
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The investigations revealed that Payne and his watch commander, Lt. James Tracy, violated six specific policies, Biskupski said.
Those policies include conduct unbecoming by a police employee, courtesy in public context, policy regarding arrests, misdemeanor citations, situations requiring a report, law enforcement code of ethics and city policy regarding standards of conduct for employees, the mayor said.
Wubbels was later released and was not charged.
Tracy reportedly instructed Payne to retrieve the blood sample without a warrant.
Biskupski said that Wednesday’s announcement won’t be the final step in the process. Both officers have 20 days to respond to the allegations, she said.
After the 20-day period, the findings of the investigations will be turned over to Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, who will use the information to make a decision about the employment of the two officers.
Biskupski said Wubbels’ arrest has divided the community. She said Salt Lake City police officers are some of the best law enforcement officers in the country.
“I believe this community feels as I do — that the rift this has caused in our city must be healed,” she said. “Every day the men and women of the Salt Lake City Police Department work to protect and defend our citizens and our residents.”