Tucson police to fire officer who fatally shooting a man in a wheelchair 9 times from behind

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USA Today

Julie Luchetta

TUCSON, Ariz. — Police said Tuesday a Tucson officer would be fired after video showed him fatally shoot a man in a motorized wheelchair while confronting him over allegedly shoplifting.

Surveillance video of the Monday shooting shows Richard Lee Richards, 61, entering a Lowe's in a wheelchair before an officer, later identified as Ryan Remington, fires his gun nine times at Richards' back and side. Richards was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

Before Richards entered the Lowe's, a Walmart employee had reported Richards was suspected of shoplifting a toolbox, Tucson police chief Chris Magnus said Tuesday at a news conference. When asked to show a receipt, the Walmart employee told police that Richards pulled out a knife and said, "Here's your receipt."

Remington was working off-duty as security at Walmart and has been with the department for four years. Magnus said Tuesday that Remington would be fired.


Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/01/tuscon-police-shooting-officer-fired-man-wheelchair/8819769002/

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I know the title isn't proper English, but the rule is to use the published title in LBN. Video also at link.

[ItsjustMe]

1. Tucson Police Officer Shoots Man In A Wheelchair 9 Times In The Back

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017696321

[dchill]

2. Nine times. Nine. Times.

[LudwigPastorius]

4. Point blank range...

And the man was already slumped over when the cop, after about a 1 second delay, fired the ninth and final shot.

That cop deserves life without parole.

[liberalla]

14. And then the cop scrambles to get cuffs on him as he lies there dying! WTH? Frickin unbelievable...

[vlyons]

7. Just let him have the Fing tool box.

nt

[blugbox]

19. I saw the body cam and surveillance footage. Murder.

Also, nice Ferris Bueller reference...

[Red Mountain]

3. Charges coming?

This cop is a murderer. Couldn't deploy his taser? Could he have maybe run around to the other side because the GUY IS IN A FREAKING WHEELCHAIR?

[forgotmylogin]

8. Right!

If he has a knife, maybe STEP AWAY A FEW FEET?

[OneCrazyDiamond]

12. I used to think that until I seen a person who knew how to throw them.

The guy could throw just about anything, and be lethal. I think that is why throwing knifes are banned in Ca. They make it too easy.

[Red Mountain]

15. the wheelchair ninjas always dress in black

pretty easy to spot

[intheflow]

16. "Maybe the guy in the wheelchair was a professional knife thrower!"

Dude, I'd have to guess that the percentage of lethal knife-throwers in wheelchairs is less than .00001%.

Not to mention he was shot in the back.

Also, shoplifting is not a crime punishable by death.

The Tuscon police chief said the video shows multiple violations of their conflict resolution policies. That's why they're firing his ass. Just stop with the cop apologist crap.

[Traildogbob]

5. Oh!!!

Well now at least we know the Red Line for cops.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Takes time to fire him? How bout "You're fired. You'll be escorted out. Paperwork will follow later"

[NQAS]

9. I'm not a cop. . .

But. . . really?

I'll grant you, the wheelchair might have been a ruse. Fair enough. But what's the down side to working with the incoming cop and bracket the wheelchair guy from the front/sides. Ask him to drop the knife, see if he lunges from the chair, and take things from there. It's a fucking toolbox he's accused of shoplifting. If that was even a truthful allegation.

It seems to come down to the fact that hiring and training are beyond horrifying. The first response to everything seems to be to kill people. Zero sum game of policing. For the cop to win, the other guy has to die.

Why not try this idea out now and then. Talk to people.

He had backup. Talk to the guy.

[intheflow]

17. Also, how do you shoplift a toolbox?

And why isn't there any mention of the stolen toolbox being found among the victim's belongings in his wheelchair? I mean, if it was such a valuable toolbox he needed to be killed over it, surely they would have mentioned having found it as justification for the officer's actions.

[oasis]

10. This cop belongs behind bars. He's a danger to the public. nt

[sakabatou]

11. FFS!

[Martin68]

18. OMG! What a radical decision!