Friends and family of a young black man shot dead by police in Utah last week have paid tribute to him as a shy and gentle arts lover at his funeral. 200 people gathered inside a Mormon church in Saratoga Springs yesterday  to remember 22-year-old Darrien Hunt, who police say was shot dead after he lunged at officers with a samurai-type sword. Mr Hunt was shot dead at a mall in Saratoga Springs last Wednesday, in an incident that has sparked intense debate over whether race played a role. His death came just one month after the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri sparked huge protests across the U.S.
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Crowd of 200 gathered at Mormon Church in Saratoga Springs for service
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Mr Hunt was described as a shy and gentle arts lover by friends and family
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22-year-old was shot dead by police at a mall in the city last Wednesday
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Police claim he was carrying a samurai-style sword and lunged at officers
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Incident has sparked intense debate over whether race played a role in death
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Comes just one month after the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri sparked nationwide protests
Online court records show Hunt had a couple of previous encounters with @placeholder police for a domestic violence dispute with a sibling and marijuana possession.