Abdi Mohamed, 17, of Salt Lake City, Utah, is currently in a coma and fighting for his life after being shot three times by police this past weekend. Mohamed was reportedly holding a broomstick when police arrived and was shot after being ordered to drop it, according to New York Daily News.

According to authorities, police arrived to break up a fight that Mohamed was involved and actively used the broomstick as a weapon in.

Semal Mohammed, a friend of Mohamed that was at the scene, claims that the two were trying to break up a fight as police arrived.

“The police said, ‘drop it’, once, then they shot him,” Selam Mohammed said, according to the Daily News. “We were trying to break it up before the police even came, but the police ran in on foot and pulled their guns out already.”

Authorities are yet to release much detail from their account due to an ongoing investigation into the incident.

Mohamed’s family originates in Kenya and moved to Utah 10 years ago. He was living with his girlfriend and their son.

“He was a really caring, good, loving boyfriend, and a really, good caring loving father, I know what he was doing every day, the things he would do for us,” Becca Monson, his girlfriend, told Fox 13.

“I just want to see him honestly, I just want to see him and make sure he knows that he is loved and there are people out here that care about him and there are people that want to see him do good,” Monson continued to say.

At the site of the shooting, nearly 100 officers from multiple departments were called in to disperse members of public that were reportedly throwing rocks and bottles at authorities, according to KTLA5. Four people were arrested as a result.

Both of the officers that were involved have been put on administrative leave pending the investigation. Fortunately, they were wearing body cameras but the footage is yet to be released to the public.

“Because the suspect is currently being screened for criminal charges, release of the body camera recording could create a danger of depriving the suspect of a right to fair trial or impartial hearing,” said Salt Lake City Police.

 

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