SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Somali refugee shot by Utah police agreed to a plea deal and $500 fine Friday in what prosecutors call a failed drug deal and assault just before the shooting.
Abdullahi “Abdi” Mohamed acknowledged in juvenile court that he was guilty of reduced charges of aggravated assault and attempted drug possession. He added, however, that he had been intoxicated and couldn’t remember exactly what happened that night when he was 17.
Mohamed was critically injured in February 2016 when officers fired multiple times from close range after he refused to drop a metal broomstick during a fight.
Prosecutor Mike Colby said he’s frustrated with the way the case has played out since a judge refused his push to send the case to adult court, where Mohamed could have faced possible prison time if convicted.
Judge Julie Lund said she shares his frustration, but she agreed with a case worker’s assessment that it doesn’t seem like there’s more that juvenile court workers can do for the now 19-year-old. He will be referred to a refugee center to get counseling and substance abuse treatment.
While the teen’s lawyer, Alicia Memmott, acknowledged Mohamed has struggled with treatment, she said he’s been traumatized by the shooting where he suffered critical injuries that have required the use of a wheelchair.
“What happened to him is a very serious thing, and I think it has given him more consequences than this court of adult court could ever impose on him,” she said. “His life has been forever altered.”
She said Mohamed was moving in the right direction before the shooting, and now that the case is over he’ll be able to talk about it and move on with his life, she said.
“Before the shooting, Abdi’s not a perfect kid, but he’s a good kid,” Memmott said. “I think he’s just in a dark place.”
Mohammed spoke briefly in court to tell the judge what he remembered of the incident, though he declined to speak to reporters.
Prosecutors cleared the two officers of wrongdoing, though a civilian review board found the fight appeared to have calmed down and that officers didn’t follow department guidelines.
The shooting, which happened outside a Salt Lake City homeless shelter near the arena where the NBA’s Utah Jazz play, became another flashpoint in the nation’s discussion about the use of force by police against minorities. The shooting sparked unrest and protests.
Prosecutors said the fight began after a failed drug deal and a dispute over $1.10 near the city’s bustling homeless shelter.
Since the 2016 incident, Mohamed has also been charged with public urination and having alcohol in a park, online court records show. He pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from a Feb. 25 incident.
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