Family alleges passenger in police pursuit shot in face by officer
05/11/2020 12:12 am PDT
By Elle Thomas, KSTU
OREM, Utah (KSTU) -- An Orem family says their daughter was shot in the face by a police officer during a hit-and-run accident, and then left out of the police report.
On Friday, 24-year-old Julia Jones was the passenger in a hit-and-run accident, which led to a police chase and an officer firing shots. The driver, Samantha Bencomo, whom the family said had a previous relationship with Jones, was arrested.
According to a probable cause statement, Bencomo faces charges for leaving the scene of an accident, failure to stop at the command of a police officer and attempted murder of a police officer.
The family said Jones was shot by an Orem Police Officer during the altercation. But according to the charging documents, there is no mention of a passenger, of shots being fired, or of someone sustaining injuries.
According to the family, Julia Jones has been at Utah Valley Hospital since Friday.
The family said the bullet caused Jones to lose five teeth and break her jaw in four places. Hospital staff told them Julia would remain in the ICU for another week, but it was unknown how long she would be in the hospital.
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