Probe finds ‘unintentional mistakes’ in Petito police stop

Probe finds ‘unintentional mistakes’ in Petito police stop

FILE - This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue is scheduled to announce the findings of Petito's autopsy at a news conference early Tuesday, Oct. 12. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An investigation has found that Utah police made “several unintentional mistakes” when they stopped Gabby Petito and her boyfriend before she was killed in what became a high-profile missing person case. The independent report released Wednesday examines a stop by police in the tourist town of Moab on Aug. 12. They allowed the couple to leave after requiring them to spend a night apart. Body camera video of a visibly upset Petito was widely viewed as the investigation unfolded and raised questions about whether a more robust police response could have prevented her death.  

Photo: FILE – This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP)