Praise For Utah Officer From Gabby Petito's Traffic Stop: Report

MOAB CITY, UT — The supervising police officer involved in the Utah traffic stop where Gabby Petito can be seen in tears after a fight with Brian Laundrie, just weeks before he strangled her to death, is being praised for his work and supported by his new police chief, Fox News has reported.

Moab City detective Eric E. Pratt, who was recently promoted to the new rank, has been called "an outstanding employee" by the department's new police chief, Chief Jared Garcia, who was brought in to clean up the department, according to the outlet.

Pratt was supervising Officer Daniel Robbins after Petito and Laundrie were pulled over in her van in a traffic stop just after a 911 caller reported a man had struck a woman outside of a shop in Moab.

After hearing both versions of what happened, the officers decide to let the couple go as long as they separate for the night. Police bodycam footage showing Petito constantly crying drew public criticism for the way the two handled the stop both during her disappearance and more so after her death.

The criticism prompted an independent review, that later found the two officers made unintentional mistakes in the stop, as well as a $50 million lawsuit by Petito's family.

Chief Garcia told Fox he could not comment specifically on the Aug. 12 stop due to the pending litigation, though he continued to praise Pratt’s performance regarding the rest of his duties.

"At least in the time that I’ve been here, I’ve been extremely pleased with his effort and his competency," Garcia told the outlet.

The Aug. 13 911 call was placed by a witness who saw Petito and Brian Laundrie fighting in a town nearby, and when the pair was later pulled over after Laundrie drove Petito's van into the side of a curb, Petito can be seen with tears streaming down her face as the two are interviewed about their interaction.

In police bodycam footage, which Patch obtained from the Moab City police, Petito, who was asked to step out of the van over to a police cruiser, tells Officer Robbins, who was wearing the body camera, that Laundrie hit the curb because she "distracted him." She tells Robbins that she had been apologizing to Laundrie, explaining she was in a bad mood and was stressed out because she had been building a website for her blog about Van Life.

Laundrie would not let her in the vehicle under the belief she needed to calm down, according to her statements in Robbins' footage.

"He really stresses me out," she said, then describes the altercation as "just a bad morning."

Laundrie then tells the officer that Petito "gets really worked up sometimes" and he was trying to distance himself from her, saying that he did shove her to get away from her, and apologizes to the officer because of that. Laundrie, who had visible scratches on his face, is then asked by the officer how he got them and says that Petito "had her phone" and he was struggling with her as she was trying to take the keys to the van.

He then tells Robbins that the van struck the curb because she grabbed the steering wheel.

A group of officers, including Robbins, then discuss how to handle the situation and explain to Laundrie that, based on their investigation — including his and Petito's comments, as well as those of the witness — there was enough evidence to charge Petito with assault, but they were hampered because they live together and he did not want to press charges.

Instead, they told Laundrie that they did not have discretion under the law and suggested giving her a citation for domestic assault, which included a stay-away order. The stay-away order would be in effect for the night, preventing any contact between the two, and then if Laundrie wanted to have the order removed, he could do so the next morning, Robbins told him.

Petito did not want to be separated from Laundrie, though, according to another officer who interviewed her.

Near the end of the video, Robbins decides not to cite Petito for domestic assault and tells her, then suggests separating the pair for the night.

"I want you guys both to be — tonight — away from each other," he said, adding, "relax, breathe."

Petito then started welling up with tears as he was speaking.

"There is no reason to be crying," he said. "I understand this can feel like a nightmare, but you are coming out the golden flower on top."

He tells Petito that she is taking the van for the night and Laundrie will be taken to a hotel and urges them to stay away from each other for both of their sakes.

"From what you told me and what he told me, both of you guys have little things that have been building up and building up, and finally the little string that you guys were walking on broke," he said.

The officer then asks Petito if she wants him to let Laundrie know that she loves him and will see him in the morning, and she tells him yes, before adding that he needs to keep his cell phone charged because he is bad about keeping it powered.

Price Police Department Capt. Brandon Ratcliffe, which is located about two hours northwest of Moab, released a 102-page report in January, outlining his review of the incident.

The report recommended both officers be placed on probation, and calls for additional training in domestic violence and legal issues so that officers have a better grasp of state laws and statutes, as well as upgraded software.

Pratt said in the report that he was afraid charging Petito would embolden Laundrie.

"So, if he's going to bail her out, is he not going to have more control over her now?" Pratt said.

Pratt also told investigators that he was "desperately f---ed over," The Sun reported.

"I really am," he said. "I would have done anything to stop it if I would have known that was coming. I accept responsibility for it but I don't want anyone to think that I did not care. I am devastated about it. I cared that day and I still care."

Ratcliffe's report also points out that the department did not get a statement from the 911 caller who reported seeing the alleged assault.

The final police account did not recount the caller's initial report describing Laundrie as the aggressor, and it labeled the altercation instead a "mental health crisis."

Petito was reported missing by her mother in her hometown of Suffolk County after Laundrie returned to Florida in her van but without her, sparking a massive search that spanned several states. Petito was confirmed dead on Sept. 21.

Laundrie evaded speaking with police and ended up shooting himself in the head in a swamp near his parents' home. His remains were found in October.

In a disclaimer, Ratcliffe says that while he had access to all of the reports and video footage, he would not pretend to have the same perception as the officers who investigated the case, noting there are many 'what-ifs' that have presented themselves as part of the investigation, with the primary one being: Would Gabby be alive today if this case was handled differently?”

“That is an impossible question to answer despite it being the answer many people want to know,” Ratcliffe wrote. “Nobody knows and nobody will ever know the answer to that question."

"My job is to provide information into the details of this investigation and if it was handled properly," he added.

In a notice of claim filed earlier this month, attorneys for Petito's family claim Moab police did not fully address a 911 caller who reported seeing Laundrie hit Petito outside of a Utah restaurant.

Police also did not act on the fact that she had cuts on her face, and that Laundrie had grabbed her face in a fight, according to the document.

A close-up photo of Petito's face, not yet released to the public, shows blood smeared on her cheek and left eye, the notice of claim added.

The notice of claim names Pratt and Robbins, as well as Chief Bret Edge and Assistant Chief Braydon Palmer.

Laundrie "murdered Gabby Petito by strangling her and savagely inflicting blunt force trauma to her head," the notice of claim states.

The notice of claim also states that police did not question Laundrie about "inconsistencies" in his version of events but, instead, "determined Gabby was the primary aggressor."

Petito's family's lawyer, Brian C. Stewart, told The Sun that they hope "Officer Pratt is committed to learning from his experience and the mistakes that were made in Gabby's case.

"We hope he has received significant retraining in how to properly respond to domestic violence situations and how to apply the law correctly to protect victims, like Gabby," he added.

On the anniversary of Petito's death last Saturday, Petito's family asked candles be lighted around the world in her honor, as well as that of other domestic violence victims.

Lisa Finn contributed additional reporting to this story.

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