USU students start social media campaign to get Logan officer fired
Some Utah State University students and alumni have started a Twitter campaign calling for the removal of a Logan police officer who handled the case of murdered University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey after allegations arose that he may have shown off explicit photos of McCluskey to a co-worker.
McCluskey, a senior track athlete at the U., was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in October 2018. Before her death, she reached out to University of Utah police for help. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, McCluskey explained to Officer Miguel Deras that she was being blackmailed for compromising photos taken of herself. After she sent the photos to campus police for evidence, Deras allegedly showed off the photos to an unnamed male co-worker and bragged he could look at them whenever he wanted.
Deras resigned from the U. and started working for the Logan Police Department in September 2019.
One of the people responsible for starting the Twitter campaign is Paulina Rivera-Soto, recent political science graduate and former USU Student Association Student Advocate vice president. She said she believes in second chances but “not when the safety of others is involved.”
“I’m not saying the public should play judge, we have laws and a system,” Rivera-Soto said. “However, with what we know, how can you ask women, especially when Logan is a college town, to feel safe if that’s the kind of example set?”
Rivera-Soto, along with fellow USU political science graduate Logan Loftus, has been urging people on Twitter to contact Mayor Holly Daines and Chief Gary Jensen to ask that Deras be removed from law enforcement.
“The city of Logan deserves better than him,” Loftus said. “The fact that he was hired after such a controversial case is discouraging.”
When the news broke about the allegations against Deras, the Logan Police Department released a statement saying they were unaware of the situation but were launching an internal investigation. On Monday morning, after receiving multiple phone calls and emails, Jensen released another statement urging the public to “remember they are allegations.”
“Reportedly, through the investigation of the University of Utah, there was no evidence to substantiate any part of the claim,” Jensen said in the press release. “We intend to reach out to the Tribune to seek opportunity to speak to their un-named source for further clarification and information.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Rivera-Soto said after reading Jensen’s statement. “It’s already hard enough for victims to come forward and the message that is being sent is they will not be taken seriously. It’s victim blaming at its core.”
Jensen received heavy criticism for his decision to hire Deras in September. At the time, he called Deras “a quality young man.”
Loftus said she wished Jensen had listened to concerns about Deras when they considered hiring him in the fall.
“Miguel Deras should not have been hired in the first place and should be removed from the force immediately,” she said.
It should be noted that the University of Utah was aware Deras had McCluskey’s photos and showed them to another officer. However, according to Christopher Nelson, the U.’s communications director, the question is whether he showed the other officer as part of an investigation or if he did it with lewd intent.
On Monday evening, Chief Rodney Chatman of the University of Utah police also issued a statement and said the U. was opening an outside investigation into the incident with Deras.
@cripe_taylor
This is so disgusting! How can Logan city do there own Internal Investigation on there own office!!! This has to be done By an independent outsource police department. Not Logan City investigating their own investigation. Doesn’t that sound a little corrupt! The only thing that they need to do to prove that this sick man was extorting this poor woman that died over a year ago on his own personal cell phone is to confiscate it and look at it and I think that the other officer and the fellow officers that he had shown explicit pictures to should be fired stricken from their badge and their police certificate destroyed! He especially should know longer be able to serve on any law-enforcement agency including Utah or elsewhere. had that of been any other citizen they were to seize their phone. And charged him fully to the extent! But how sad that he would take the time to download them on his personal cell phone not a cell phone provided by the police department but his own personal cell phone for his own gratification! Then be fired from his previous post and rehired through Logan City knowing what he was accused of and doing the same thing here. So sorry chief Johnsen you knew what kind of criminal you were hiring! Do justice do what you would do to any other citizen of this county. At the full force of your law and command even put him in jail and the people involved I think that they should be fired as well not sanctioned fired nothing else should be acceptable. After they win their lawsuit for the $52 million since they’re sitting this one on the back burner maybe it might make you open up your eyes. Your department is not clean and maybe should start weeding out Your dirty corrupt cops