SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Somali refugee shot by police should be allowed to face drug and robbery charges in juvenile court to give the 18-year-old a chance to rehabilitate, a social work expert said Monday during a hearing to determine if the case will be moved to adult court.
Robert Butters, director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center, said that research shows juveniles thrown into adult prisons only learn to become “better criminals.” Young adults like Abdullahi “Abdi” Mohamed are often confined to maximum detention to protect them, he said.
“They’re exposed to probably the worst of the worst,” said Butters, of the University of Utah. “It’s a losing deal all around.”
Butters testified for the defense during the first day of a two-day hearing in which a juvenile court judge is weighing whether to grant the prosecution’s request to move Mohamed’s case to adult court. The hearing is scheduled to resume Wednesday.
Mohamed was 17 at the time of the February 2016 incident outside a homeless shelter near the arena where the NBA’s Utah Jazz play in what became another flashpoint in the nation’s discussion about the use of force by police against minorities. The shooting sparked unrest and protests.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill last year cleared the two officers who shot Mohamed of any wrongdoing, determining that they believed Mohamed was about to seriously injure a man with a metal broom stick.
Prosecutors said the fight began after a failed drug deal and a dispute over $1.10 near the city’s bustling homeless shelter. The officers yelled multiple times for Mohamed to drop the weapon as he and another man attacked the victim, but he refused, Gill said.
A police civilian review board later found the officers didn’t follow department policy.
Mohamed is charged with aggravated robbery and possession of drugs with intent to distribute.
Abdi Mohamed’s family fled the violence of Somalia and lived in Kenya before coming to the U.S. in 2004 when Mohamed was 6-years-old.
Mohamed started getting in trouble with police when he was 12, according to court records. He spent time in juvenile detention centers for theft, trespass and assault.
Prosecutor Mike Colby said they want to try him in adult court due to the severity of the crime, his prior history in juvenile court and how close he was to his 18th birthday when the incident occurred.
Colby asked Butters about Mohamed’s gang affiliations and pushed back against Butters’ assertion that Mohamed doesn’t understand the U.S. judicial system.
“At what point you think he would be able to understand the court system?” said Colby, reciting his many appearances in juvenile court.
Butters said Mohamed is not a dangerous person looking to victimize people, but a young man who has dealt with trauma, drug addiction and mental illness in his life and nearly died after being shot four times by police. He remains paralyzed and in a wheelchair, noted Butters, saying that only exacerbates his issues.
He recommended that Mohamed receive help getting a high school diploma, mentorship from other refugees and begin physical therapy for his injuries.
Several members of Mohamed’s family were in the gallery for the hearing. They listened to an interpreter who translated the proceedings. At one point, Mohamed’s stepfather broke down in tears.
“We have an obligation as community to take care of these refugees we take into our city,” Butters said. “He should have an opportunity to make a life for himself so we’re not having this young man cycle in and out jails for the rest of his life.”
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