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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs officials confirmed Friday that prosecutors are considering whether to file a misdemeanor charge against Susan Hunt, the mother of Darrien Hunt, following a confrontation with police.

City spokesman Owen Jackson said he had not been informed of the details, but confirmed that some sort of confrontation occurred between Hunt and members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department on Oct. 19 in a parking lot close to where her son was shot and killed by officers in September.

Robert Sykes, Susan Hunt's attorney, said he hadn't talked to his client about the allegations, but noted, "It's suspicious that they would do something like this at this moment."

Sykes said from what little he knows about the case, two Saratoga Springs officers had stopped another person for an unknown issue when Hunt apparently came across them and "apparently got into it" with them. Sykes did not know if Hunt actually slapped an officer as has been rumored.

"(Police) are under a lot of pressure and they're doing everything they can to try and justify that (shooting), including blackening Susan," Sykes said.

To avoid a conflict of interest, the case was investigated by the Utah County Sheriff's Office. That investigation was completed and turned over to the Saratoga Springs city attorney for possible charges, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon. Jackson said the city attorney was also seeking outside counsel from another attorney's office to again avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Darrien Hunt was shot six times by two Saratoga Springs Cpl. Matt Schauerhamer and officer Nicholas Judson on Sept. 10, after he allegedly lunged at officers with a katana sword and then ran away. A state autopsy report concluded that five of the shots hit Hunt from behind and one hit the side of his left hip toward the back of his body.

(Police) are under a lot of pressure and they're doing everything they can to try and justify that (shooting), including blackening Susan. –Robert Sykes, Susan Hunt's attorney

Susan Hunt, who is white, has claimed that because her son is black, the officers jumped to use deadly force. She has been very emotional during interviews with the media, including her most recent public appearance Tuesday when she spoke about the state medical examiner's report that also concluded that her son did not have any traceable amount of illegal drugs in his system at the time of the shooting. Other family members had to take her in another room so she could collect herself after her emotional outburst.

"He didn't do anything. And people won't even come forward and say he didn't do anything, they want to justify the cops. How can you justify the cops? He's 147 pounds. You know how skinny that is? How can he, with a sword, come to a gun fight?" she said in tears Tuesday.

"What really upsets me … people are trying to justify killing my son. 'He had to have been drunk. He had to have been on drugs.' So that means a cop can kill him? But he wasn't!" Hunt screamed.

The sheriff's office referred all questions Friday to Saratoga Springs. Jackson said he could not release many details about the Oct. 19 incident because it is still considered an active investigation.

Sykes said Friday he is suspicious about the timing of the release of information about Susan Hunt's encounter with police. He also said he has been told there is video of the incident.

A decision from the Utah County Attorney's Office regarding whether the shooting of Darrien Hunt was legally justified was expected to be released Friday or Monday.

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