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Lawyer to ask feds to probe Utah police shooting

By WTOP Staff

BRADY McCOMBS
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An attorney for the family of a black man who was killed by Utah police said Friday he will ask the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate the shooting.

Lawyer Randall Edwards said at a news conference that it’s likely 22-year-old Darrien Hunt was dressed as a Japanese anime character and role-playing when he was shot. That, he says, could explain why Hunt was carrying a sword.

Edwards accused Saratoga Springs police of using excessive force and treating Darrien Hunt differently because he was black.

“I just can’t believe that this kid in the costume was somehow posing such a threat to the officers or everybody else that deadly force was the first and only option,” Edwards said.

Authorities say race played no role in the shooting. They say officers were reacting to Hunt lunging at them with the steel sword.

Hunt was killed on Sept. 10 in a strip mall after police responded to a call about a suspicious man with a sword.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office, which is overseeing the investigation of the shooting, said it was learning more about what happened but has no indication that race was a factor.

In a statement, prosecutors said it will be several weeks until their review is complete. They declined to provide further details.

The office did, however, release a photo of the sword Hunt carried that day. It shows a blade that is 2 1/2 feet long with a point. The Hunt family previously described it as a play sword with plastic blade.

Edwards said it a decorative sword, not a weapon. He also said an independent autopsy done for the family shows Darrien Hunt was shot six times from behind, with the fatal shot hitting Hunt square in the back.

Authorities have not disclosed the results of an autopsy by the coroner’s office or discussed the shooting in detail.

The city of Saratoga Springs said in a statement Friday that officials are confident in the officers involved in the shooting and their training.

The officers were identified as Corp. Matthew Schauerhamer and Officer Nicholas Judson. Efforts to reach them were unsuccessful.

The Department of Justice and FBI said they will review the request for an investigation when it is filed.

Edwards said he has received several phone calls reporting civil rights violations and racial discrimination by police in Saratoga Springs. However, he did not provide the names of the people who called or dates and locations of the events.

Darrien Hunt was recalled Thursday at a funeral as a shy, gentle man who loved art and music and was trying to navigate a difficult transition into adulthood.

In January, Hunt was charged in a domestic violence dispute that Edwards said involved one of his siblings. Most of the charges were dismissed when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, online court records show.

In 2012, he pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and was ordered to pay a fine and placed on probation for a year.

Hunt’s mother, Susan Hunt, who is white, stood behind Edwards at the Friday news conference and alongside her sisters and spoke briefly, asking for authorities to tell her what really happened.

“The police department hasn’t shared anything with me,” Hunt said.

Saratoga Springs is an upscale city of 23,000 people south of Salt Lake City. About 93 percent of residents are white and less than 1 percent is black, according to U.S. Census figures.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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