Justin Griffiths

Investigative Report
Everyday, hundreds of Utahs homeless population fill the streets of downtown around,
The Road Home. One of Salt Lakes busiest homeless shelters, located at 210 Rio Grande
Street in downtown Salt Lake City. Looking that the mass of faces lined up and down the block,
one would never know that just a few short months ago, these same streets were locked in civil
unrest as fires were started, windows were smashed and riot police were called in to contain the
violent situation. A situation revolving around 17 year old Abdi Mohamed, a Somali refugee
whose family had been staying at The Road Home after arriving in Utah.

The story of Abdi Mohamed and his family is a story overflowing with hardship and
tragedy. Its the story of a refugee family from Somalia fleeing from violence in their homeland
and ends with a family, homeless in Utah, facing violence once again.
Abdi Mohameds family left their refugee camp in Somalia with hopes of achieving a
better life. After spending time in Kenya (where Abdi Mohameds father is originally from) the
family eventually found their way to America and specifically to Salt Lake City, Utah. Though
thankful for having made it out of the war ravaged home that they once knew, life in Utah
provided its own set of difficulties. One of the greatest of those obstacles was the problem of
being Muslim in a state that is predominantly home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints.
"They look at us like they're disappointed," she said. "I am Muslim, and I know what we're
practicing. It's peace." (Muslima Weledi, cousin of Abdi Mohamed)
Difficulties growing up led to several run ins with the law for Abdi Mohamed. By the age
of 12 he had been in and out of juvenile detention centers for theft, trespassing and assault. A
car accident earlier in the year that left Mohameds grandfather with brain damage only added
onto the familys troubles. When money became tight, the family found themselves forced to
stay at, The Road Home homeless shelter. This part of downtown Salt Lake City is well known
for being a dangerous and crime filled area. As a result, it is heavily patrolled by Salt Lake City
Police Department officers.
According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department issued Sunday
afternoon, officers witnessed two males with metal objects attacking a male victim around 8
p.m. in the area of 300 South Rio Grande Street. The release states, "Officers confronted the
two suspects and ordered them to drop the weapons. One of the males complied and dropped

the weapon, the other continued to advance on the victim and was shot by officers."

There were several witnesses to the encounter that day that provide an alternate view of
those events. Many witnesses claimed that the police did not give Abdi Mohamed time to
surrender and began firing on the teen almost immediately.
The police said, drop it, once, then they shot him four times, Selam Mohammed said.
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. They already had them, like, as soon as he was running he was
already grabbing for his gun, not even trying to Tase him or anything.
Abdi Mohamed was rushed to a local area hospital in critical condition where he fell into
a coma as a result of being shot 3 times by the SLCPD officers.

Many people have jumped to the idea that Abdi

Mohameds race played a major factor in the level of
force used by SLCP officers. But another aspect that
is often overlooked is the effect of economic status on
how an individual is treated by the police. According
to a study performed by the National Coalition for the
Homeless, nearly 66% of homeless people surveyed
have said they have been treated unfairly by law
enforcement. This study also found a 4% higher rate
of discrimination on the part of law enforcement, if the
homeless individual was also African American.
Elements of economic discrimination, or
discrimination against the homeless are often based on only the most cursory and superficial of
interactions. I interviewed several SLCC students about their feelings on the homeless and their
reactions were almost universally negative despite admitting to having little personal experience
or interaction with the homeless population. Descriptions of people standing under freeway
overpasses in dirty clothes with bags or shopping carts were given. All of these descriptions
were based on visual assessments that didnt give much thought to the individual as a person. I

got the impression that people would classify whether or not a person was homeless based on
the individual's looks. One girl I interviewed was quoted as saying, I work downtown and I see
them [homeless people] on the streets everyday when I walk to TRAX. I try not to look at them
or pay any attention because I dont want to get their attention. I just mostly try to stay away
from them. Some of them act really weird and they kind of scare me. I get scared that they
might try to hurt me.
Discrimination against the
homeless doesnt just end with law
enforcement. The study performed
by the National Coalition for the
Homeless also lists that 92% of the
respondents that were surveyed
experienced at least one form of
economic profiling. The most
prominent form of economic
profiling experienced by the group
of respondents came from privately
owned businesses. Over 70% of
respondents said that they felt they
had been treated unfairly or
discriminated against by local, privately owned businesses because of their economic status.
Many were refused service and told to leave. Others had law enforcement called on them.
One of the most damaging forms of economic profiling and discrimination faced by the
homeless is that from medical and social sources. The NCH study found that nearly half of all
participants have said that they were discriminated against or denied services by health care
providers. One study participant gave the following testimonial, When I got stabbed the
paramedic stated that nothing was wrong with me. He said I just wanted to get out of the rain.
Its hard to say whether Abdi Mohamed faced this kind discrimination and maltreatment
after he was taken to the hospital in critical condition and then fell into a coma, but the
information presented in these reports doesnt eliminate that kind of possibility. Its also
impossible to know what could have happened on that Saturday in February if Abdi Mohamed
had been a different skin color or had been of a different economic class. No one can say how
things might have played out differently, but one thing is certain, the homeless of Utah (or any
other state for that matter) face tremendous difficulties and hardships. Hardships that are made
harder by societal stigmas and preconceptions. And sometimes these harsh and superficial
judgements can get people hurt.

Photo of Abdi Mohamed

Works Cited

1.

April, 2014. Discrimination and Economic Profiling among the Homeless of Washington, DC

(n.d.): n. pag. National Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
2.

Press, Associated. "Pictured: Teen, 17, Fighting for His Life after Being Shot Four times in

the Chest and Stomach by Police for Carrying a BROOMSTICK in Salt Lake City." Mail Online.
Associated Newspapers, 28 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2016
3.
."Refugee Shot by Salt Lake City Police Fled Violence, Squalor in Search of a 'better Life' "
The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016
4.
"Salt Lake City PD Offers Statement after Cop Shoots Teen Suspect."Fox13now.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016
5.
"US Police Shoot Somali Teen Refugee, Triggering Protest." - Al Jazeera English. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
6.
"Utah Cop Shooting Victim's Family Recalls Fleeing Somalia." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
7.
"Virtually All Homeless People Experience Discrimination." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 21 Apr.
2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.