TROUBLING VID
Gabby Petito bodycam: Shock moment cops laugh and joke with Brian Laundrie and tell him ‘I feel bad for you’
THIS is the shocking moment Moab cops were seen laughing and sharing a joke with Gabby Petito's fiancé Brian Laundrie in new body cam footage.
On Thursday night, the footage was posted on and revealed more of the couple's August 12 argument that saw questioned by cops for domestic violence in .
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were asked to respond to a situation involving by a man who called 911 to report that he'd seen a man "hitting and slapping" a girl before getting into a van and driving away.
News Nation Now journalist Brian Entin shared the clip in seven parts and in the video, , 23, could be seen joking around with the who pulled them over.
"You wanna come stand in the shade?" said the officer, who was wearing the body cam in question, to Laundrie, who was sitting on the curb. "It's really hot – I know the struggle [as a bald man]."
Laundrie can be seen laughing as he stands up and walks towards the shadow of their van.
"You were talking to these officers and I don't mean to butt in I just felt bad for ya [sic]," he can be heard saying as Gabby's now missing partner smiled and laughed along.
"It probably looked weird I was ducking down but [inaudible] sombrero," Laundrie told the police as he continued to giggle.
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"This gentleman noticed you've got some marks on your neck and she's got some marks on her too," the cop told him, before Laundrie gave his statement to two other policemen.
The cop who asked him to stand in the shade then looked inside the van window as the others continued to listen to him.
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Though police concluded that Gabby was the "primary aggressor," two witness had alerted the cops with one describing their violent interaction as like "children fighting."
But in the second video, Gabby – described as a "sweet girl" that is "105 lbs soaking wet, 22, and full of anxiety" – shows police .
“Did he hit you though? I mean, it's okay if you're saying you hit him. I understand if he hit you, but we want to know the truth if he actually hit you," the cop asked her.
"I, I guess, yeah, but I hit him first..." Gabby replies before the officer pushes her for more details. "He like grabbed my face, like, like I guess. He didn’t like like hit me in the face. He didn’t like punch me in the face.
"Well, he like grabbed me, like, with his nail, and I guess that's why it hurts. I definitely have a cut. Like, I can feel it."
The bodycam footage was captured 13 days before Gabby was after traveling across the country with Laundrie in their camper van since July 2.
She was last known to have been visiting Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on August 25 and was officially reported missing by her mom on September 11 as made public appeals for information.
This was weeks after Nicole Schmidt had last spoken to her daughter on the phone and ten days after Laundrie returned home to Florida in Gabby's van without her. He vanished from on September 14.
NO ARRESTS
Neither Gabby or Laundrie were arrested or cited during the stop: instead, they were separated with Laundrie booking into a hotel while his distraught girlfriend stayed in the van.
Utah law dictates that officers make an arrest during a domestic violence call if there's any sign of harm being done and an investigation is underway – but Moab Police Chief Bret Edge took a leave of absence during it.
The Grand County Sheriff's Office reviewed the dispatch call on Thursday. They concluded the incident was handled properly and that the information was properly dispatched.
Since the older footage of the situation was released, critics on social media have blamed the "complicit cops" for failing to adequately protect Gabby - and some have even called for them to be fired.
HARROWING FOOTAGE
Last month, was released by the Moab PD last week, showing officers pulling over the couple in their 2012 white Ford Transit van.
With tears streaming down her face, Gabby told the officer: "We've just been fighting this morning. Some personal issues."
Gabby was as she explained to the officer what they had been arguing about, while Laundrie was seen joking and laughing with the cops.
"We have been fighting all morning and he wouldn't let me in the car before," she said, telling the cops Laundrie "really stresses me out" and it had been a "rough morning".
Gabby admitted hitting Laundrie, who told the officers with a smile that he had pushed Gabby several times in a bid to fend her off.
'HEARTBREAKING TRAGEDY'
In a statement announcing their investigation into the officers' conduct on Thursday, the city of Moab called Gabby's death a "heartbreaking tragedy" and sent their condolences to the Gabby family.
The release of the bodycam footage, the city said, has "naturally led to questions from the media and the public about the call."
"The Moab City Police Department has clear standards for officer conduct during a possible domestic dispute and our officers are trained to follow those standards and protocol."
"At this time, the City of Moab is unaware of any breach of Police Department policy during this incident. However, the City will conduct a formal investigation and, based on the results, will take any next steps that may be appropriate."
FORMAL PROBE
The statement continued that individuals "can view the same situation in very different ways, and we recognize how more than two weeks later in Wyoming might lead to might lead to speculation, in hindsight, about the actions taken [in Moab]."
"The purpose of the City’s formal investigation is to gather the underlying facts and evidence necessary to make a thorough, informed evaluation of such actions."
Moab City Police Chief Bret Edge also offered a brief statement to The Sun last month.
"An outside party filed a request with the Moab City Police Department asking for a formal investigation into the August 12 incident in Moab involving Gabrielle Petito and Brian Laundrie.
At this time, the City of Moab is unaware of any breach of Police Department policy during this incident.
Moab PD
"We take all complaints seriously and we are committed to fully addressing these concerns.
"In compliance with police department policy, we will conduct an investigation. The police department will identify an unaffiliated law enforcement agency to conduct the formal investigation on our behalf.
"We look forward to the investigation. Should the investigation identify areas for improvement we will take that information to heart, learn from it, and make changes if needed to ensure we are providing the best response and service to our community."
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The Sun approached Moab PD for comment again on Friday, October 1, and received no response by the time of publication.
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Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is . Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to without Gabby.
- September 11 - report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 - say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announc. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say . The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby'swas held on Long Island, New York.
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