Anger After Utah Police Shooting Video Uploaded to YouTube
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We first told you this story about Dillion Taylor back in August of last year. An officer shot and killed him in South Salt Lake, which is separate from Salt Lake City, after police responded to a call about a man with a gun. When I spoke with the aunt days after her nephew was killed, he was at this gas station and he was wearing these headphones. That might have kept him from hearing the officer's commands. That said, I want to play part of this for you. The first part is silent as the officer arrives on the scene. You see a group of people see the unit arrive. And you'll hear the officer turn on the audio on his body camera.</s>OFC. BRON CRUZ, SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Get your hands out now! Get your hands out! Get your -- get them out!</s>UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: I couldn't get my camera on. Did you get yours?</s>CRUZ: Yeah, I pushed it. He was reaching. 166, get medical here now. 25-year-old male who's not conscious. He's not breathing. Yeah, yeah, check them out. It's clear.</s>CRUZ: Come on. What the hell were you reaching for, man?</s>BALDWIN: Later in the video, the officer says he cannot find a weapon on Taylor. The district attorney said Officer Bron Cruz was cleared. The officer reportedly thought Taylor -- with his hands around his waistband, thought he had a weapon, thought he possibly had a gun. With me now, I have Cody Taylor, Dillion's half brother. Also with me, Dillion's aunt, who uploaded the video. I want to welcome you back. Again, my condolences.</s>CODY TAYLOR, HALF BROTHER OF DILLION TAYLOR: Thank you.</s>GINA THAYNE, AUNT OF DILLION TAYLOR: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Gina, to you. We spoke last fall. Again, this officer involved has since been cleared. The justice system has played out. You decided to upload this officer's body cam, the entire thing, just a couple days ago. Tell me why.</s>THAYNE: There's so much controversy to it that people aren't aware of the brutality that's truly going on out there. I get choked up just even hearing it. I can't even watch it all the way through anymore. But we need to make some changes. You know, Dillion was brutalized and shot down in a parking lot as are a lot of other people in Utah. It seems to be an epidemic. The public don't know -- you know, they don't know this is happening. They believe if they don't see it, it's not happening. And even the independent review board, you know, what were they thinking? They didn't even see the headphones. They said it was inconclusive. So what did they really investigate? What was their independent investigation? So we, the people, have to take charge and try and make change. If this is what it takes to make that change, for the public to see what's really going on, then that's what I did.</s>BALDWIN: I can tell, obviously, you still have questions. I want to ask you about specific changes you have in mind in a minute. But Cody, to you. Have you in the time that's pass the since last August, have you, has your family heard from Officer Cruz at all? If so, would you mind sharing what he said to you all?</s>TAYLOR: We haven't heard anything from Cruz at all about anything to do with the case. I haven't heard about whether he's on the force again or -- I haven't heard anything.</s>BALDWIN: Because he was cleared. So if he wanted to return to his job, he could have. Do either of you know if he has? By the way, we reached out to the police department. We just haven't heard back yet.</s>TAYLOR: Right. As far as I know -- I have no idea. I haven't heard anything about Bron Cruz returning or not. I have no clue.</s>BALDWIN: OK.</s>THAYNE: I have no idea either. I've actually gone to a couple neighborhood meetings to try and implement change, and I have met face to face with Chief Burbank and he didn't want to give me the time of day. I have not heard anything. I haven't heard any apologies, nothing from their entire department.</s>BALDWIN: I know this is incredibly sensitive, but, Gina, here's one question I have. When we spoke last August, you know, you told me it seemed like it was your nephew, he had his ear buds in, that he couldn't hear the officer talking to him because of his headphones. But I've watched the video through a few times. It appears that you do see -- I mean, very clearly the officer pointing this gun at your nephew. Then your nephew turns around. It sounds like he's saying, "What's up, fool," and doesn't put his hands up.</s>THAYNE: I'm not even seeing that. I see him turn around, and I don't think he's saying, "What's up, fool," I think he's scared to death and trying to, one, pull his pants up, pull the ear buds out at the same time, and prove that he doesn't have a weapon. Dillion did nothing at that very moment to make Bron Cruz feel threatened. They did not commit a crime. The 911 caller that called in was obviously in an altered state of mind, but she clearly said there was no threat, there was no threat to her or anyone else. She called in because they looked like they could be up to no good. How did that get to Bron Cruz to be such a threat?</s>BALDWIN: When you talk about wanting change and being in the community, what specifically do you want to change?</s>THAYNE: You know, when this happened, they held my son and my other nephew, Dillion's brother, Jarrell (ph), they held them for probably well over four hours in handcuffs. They made them write statements at the most vulnerable state they could be in. Bron Cruz was taken in and was released and given two weeks to give his statement. He was also let go for -- you know, paid leave for due process. I believe they need to make some changes and come in and remove the officers from the crime scene, place them away from one another, put gag orders on them, and have them write their statements at that moment when they're most vulnerable. Maybe we might get some accountability.</s>BALDWIN: Gina Thayne and Cody Taylor, thank you so much.</s>THAYNE: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Coming up, we are learning today the Boston terror suspect who was shot and killed by police thought the FBI tried to contact him by phone nearly three years ago. Coming up, we'll speak with a former Boston police commissioner. How long was this man on their radar? I mean, lots of questions for him. Stay with me.