Tucson, Arizona police officer Ryan Remington has been fired after he fatally shot a 61-year-old man riding in a mobility scooter nine times, CBS News reports.
61-year-old Richard Lee Richards was shot by Remington nine times after he was accused of shoplifting. When Remington asked Richards to stop his motorized scooter, he fired nine rounds as he headed into a different store. Body camera and surveillance footage showed Remington’s use of deadly force, and CNN reports that Remington’s attorney said the footage didn’t convey the full picture of what happened.
An employee at the Tucson Walmart contacted an off-duty police officer in the store and accused Richards of stealing a toolbox, as Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus explained. “According to the employee, he caught up with Mr. Richards outside as he fled the store and asked to see a receipt for the toolbox. Instead of providing the receipt, Mr. Richards brandished a knife and said, ‘Here’s your receipt,’” said Magnus. “Mr. Richards refused to comply, and instead continued to head through the Walmart and Lowe’s parking lots.”
The Walmart employee who accompanied Remington in pursuing Richards as he left the store said that Richards told the officer, “’If you want me to put down the knife, you’re going to have to shoot me.’” Another officer arrived during the ordeal, and the video shows Remington yell at Richards one last time before firing shots. Richards was struck in the back and his side, and fell off his scooter.
Remington’s attorney, Michael Storie, said that the clips, which were shown at a press conference, were edited. “The selected clips that were presented at that press conference constitute only half of the story,” said Storie. “In any of these types of things, if you cut and paste a video, it will not properly lay out the officer’s impressions and state of mind leading to a decision to employ force of any kind.”
The incident is expected to reviewed by authorities, but no charges have been filed.
