Body Cam Footage Shows Calm Encounter Quickly Escalate in Fatal Utah Police Shooting

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Police in Utah have released body camera footage that shows the state's second fatal officer-involved shooting in less than a week.

The video shows a calm 17-minute interaction between police officers and 34-year-old Jeff Nielson, followed by a frantic 38-second chase and shooting of the man in Draper, Utah.

The incident — which followed another officer killing the previous Thursday in Salt Lake City — began when police approached Nielson slumped over the steering wheel of his parked SUV Wednesday morning.

"I've been driving all over. I really don't have anywhere to go," Nielson first told the officers. "I just lost everything I've worked for my entire life."

The officers were not aware that Nielson had a restraining order from his ex-wife, and that he had recently been arrested for entering her home without permission.

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Nielson, who appeared intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, told officers he had nothing in his car, but the officers handcuffed him and then patted him down, finding heroin. They then did a full search of his car, which also had crack and syringes — but throughout the search, Nielson remained polite.

"You've been good with us, we'll be good with you," one of the officers told Nielson. At one point, the cop wearing the body cam helps the handcuffed man light a cigarette.

During the search, Nielson referred to a knife in his glovebox, but he stayed calm. Then, minutes later, when officers went to switch his handcuffs, he broke free and sprinted toward the car, prompting the officers to chase him and try to pull him out of his vehicle.

One officer yells "Knife!" before the body camera falls off and several gunshots are heard. One officer said Nielson had the knife in his right hand.

Police cited the video as evidence that the shooting was justified.

"When the suspect breaks free and runs to the vehicle, the threat of a knife now becomes an imminent threat," police chief Lee Russo told KSL.

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"Things will change in an instant," deputy police chief Bryan Roberts told KSL of the sequence of events. "His actions highlight the very difficult nature of our profession. Without notice, an officer can be confronted with a violent circumstance and be involved to fight for his life."

While some Utah residents have protested recent officer-involved shootings, another group has formed to support the police in the wake of the confrontations.

Utahans rallied in support for police officers Saturday and plan to hold another pro-cop rally later this month, KSL reported.

"We hope that everybody can have that same respect and know that police officers are not as bad as we make them out to be," organizer Megan Boulton said.

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Follow Meredith Hoffman on Twitter: @merhoffman