“Addiction was a part of Chad’s life,” Neese said. He had some run-ins with police for theft and drug possession. Neese, his mother, told The Tribune that Breinholt struggled after his father died. And before you know it, you’re stealing from your own family, breaking into houses, breaking into cars - anything you could do to get an hour-and-a-half high.” His conclusion: “I saw nothing at all for which I believe that this was a necessary shooting.” A struggle with addictionĪ memorial website includes a video of Breinholt at 17 telling a television reporter what it was like to be a young person addicted to drugs and alcohol. West Valley City didn’t want to release it while Gill’s investigation was pending, but Utah’s State Records Committee sided with The Tribune and required the police to provide the more expansive view of this highly unusual shooting of a handcuffed man inside a police station.Īt the request of The Tribune, Randy Shrewsberry, the executive director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform, watched the full footage of what happened that August evening. The Salt Lake Tribune sought the unedited video during a six-month record dispute. Previously, the public had seen only a sliver of what happened to Breinholt: a nine-minute edited video created by the police department’s public relations team. Prosecutors ruled that his actions were legally justified in his first two shootings. Longman’s attorney also declined to comment. West Valley City police declined to answer questions about the shooting because it is still pending with the district attorney’s office. His actions are also defended by Utah’s Fraternal Order of Police. West Valley City’s incident review committee determined Longman didn’t violate policy, and he’s back on duty after being on administrative leave, which is standard protocol after a police shooting. He is among six West Valley City officers, both current and former, who have fired more than once. Longman is one of 38 Utah officers who have been in more than one shooting in the past 16 years, according to a Salt Lake Tribune database, expanded with help from FRONTLINE. There is only one older police shooting case that’s still pending. It’s unclear when that will happen or why the legal review has taken so long. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill will make the decision - as he does with all police shootings in his jurisdiction. Nearly two years after Breinholt died, his family is left with many questions, including: Will Longman face charges for the shooting? “If he could have been put on some other duty or let go or if there was something put in place after taking the first person’s life. “Chad would still be here had something happened to that officer,” his brother, Chase Breinholt, said. That shock deepened when their attorney said this wasn’t the first time Longman had shot and killed someone while on duty. Watching the video was heartbreaking for Breinholt’s family members. “He took the time to think about that, to say those words,” Neese said in a recent interview. Tyler Longman rushed into the room, made his declaration and fired. One screamed that Breinholt was grabbing his holstered gun. With his hands cuffed behind his back, he briefly wrestled with two officers. 23, 2019, shows he was intoxicated at the police department. Then a West Valley City police sergeant pulled the trigger.īreinholt’s mother, Susan Neese, has seen the final moments of her 31-year-old son’s life. The last words Michael Chad Breinholt heard were, “You’re about to die, my friend.” Tyler Longman acted within the law when he shot Michael Chad Breinholt and won’t face charges. UPDATE: Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill ruled on July 22 - 10 days after The Salt Lake Tribune published this article - that Sgt.
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