Police footage shows Utah officers fire fatal shots into car during traffic stop
Farmington, Utah - Newly released body cam footage shows several police officers open fire on a car during a traffic stop, killing the man inside. His family has called the incident a "brutal murder."
On March 1, 25-year-old Chase Allan was reportedly pulled over in Farmington, Utah, for what the officer said was an "illegitimate license plate."
According to a statement from the Farmington Police Department (FPD), Allan became "non-compliant" with the initial officer, and backup was called.
"I don't need registration, and I don't answer questions," Allan is seen saying in body cam footage released by police on Wednesday.
As backup arrives, the initial officer tells Allan to step out of the vehicle, but he refuses.
"If you don't step out we're going to break the window and pull you out," an officer is heard saying.
As officers proceed to remove Allan from the vehicle, one is heard repeatedly yelling "Gun!" prompting all five officers on the scene to fire a barrage of bullets into the vehicle. Reports claim they shot 12 plus rounds into the car while he was still sitting inside.
Allan was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The family of Chase Allen releases a statement on his killing
The police footage reveals that Chase Allan did have a holstered gun on his hip, but police admit that the tape does not make it clear whether he was reaching for the weapon or something else, such as his seat belt.
Allan was also reportedly driving with a license plate of the "sovereign citizen" movement, which Vice described as "a group of people who believe they're not bound by the laws of the country they reside in."
In a statement from Allan's family obtained by KSLTV, those closes to Chase called him as a "loving soul" and said he was "studying law." They also called him "a patriot doing what he could to defend the people's freedom and liberty in his community."
The family described the incident as a "brutal murder," adding that they have been "stonewalled" by police. They claim no next of kin was notified of Chase's death, and they found out about it "along with the entirety of our community via news reporters and articles written online."
The FPD has yet to announce whether any disciplinary action will be taken against the five officers involved. They have all been placed on administrative leave pending results of an investigation.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire