Utah police shoot 13-year-old boy with autism after mother calls 911

Authorities in Utah are investigating after a 13-year-old austistic boy was seriously injured after being shot by a police officer in Salt Lake City, according to his mother.

Utah police shoot 13-year-old

Golda Barton said that her son Linden Cameron, who has Asperger syndrome, experienced a “mental breakdown” earlier in the day.

It had been her first day back at work in nearly a year, and Linden was having trouble coping.

Breakdown and crisis

Barton, told KUTV-TV that she had called police because he was having a breakdown and needed a crisis intervention team.

Autistic Utah boy shot by police

Barton claimed she told police her son was unarmed and warned them that he did not know how to regulate his behavior.

A few minutes after two officers who had arrived went through the front door of the home, Barton said she heard an order to “get on the ground” and several gunshots.

“I said, ‘Look, he’s unarmed. He doesn’t have anything. He just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming,” Barton told KUTV about her call to police.

“He’s a kid he’s trying to get attention. He doesn’t know how to regulate.”

No weapon was found Friday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Police’s account of shooting 13-year-old austistic boy

Police said they were called to a home in Glendale with a report of a boy who had threatened people with a weapon. The boy reportedly ran and was shot by an officer after being pursued by police.

The boy fled and as police chased after him, one officer fired their weapon and struck the child, Horrocks said.

Officers provided medical aid to the boy until medical personnel arrived, Horrocks said. He was then taken to a local hospital, according to police.

Linden’s injuries include damage to his shoulder, ankles, intestines, bladder and colon, as well as nerve damage, Barton told CNN.

The boy was recovering in the hospital and listed in serious condition. He had injuries to his shoulder, ankles, intestines and bladder, Barton said.

Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement that the shooting was a tragedy and called for a swift and transparent investigation.

Police statement

According to KUTV, the police department issued a statement on Tuesday saying an investigation by law enforcement and the district attorney’s office is ongoing, and the city’s Civilian Review Board and police department’s internal affairs division will also conduct “parallel separate investigations.”