The Pima County Attorney’s Office has launched the review of a police shooting that left a man in a motorized wheelchair dead last month.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said her office had received the bulk of necessary evidence from the Tucson Police Department to begin to evaluate the facts of the case and conduct the investigation.
“The video is jarring. And, the video represents but a fraction of the evidence we must evaluate to determine if criminal charges are warranted in this incident,” Conover said in a statement. “Charging decisions, especially involving incidents in which a loss of life has occurred, are not made in this office based on emotion. They are based on a deliberative review of all the facts and all the evidence at hand. It is our obligation, my obligation, to get these decisions right, not rushed, while strictly ensuring the rights of the accused as embodied in our Constitution and laws.”
Conover said she has scheduled a convening of a critical incident review group, made up of senior homicide prosecutors and experienced attorneys, to determine whether to present the case to a grand jury for a possible indictment of the officer.
Conover will not be commenting any further about the incident to preserve the impartiality of the prosecutors and to protect the integrity of the process.
On Nov. 29, Richard Lee Richards, 61, reportedly stole a toolbox from a Walmart on Tucson’s southwest side and flashed a knife at an employee. Tucson Police officer Ryan Remington then followed Richards from Walmart to a nearby Lowe’s.
A video released by the Police Department shows Remington firing at Richards nine times, hitting him in the back and side.
The Police Department has since moved to fire Remington.
On Friday, Richards’ sister, Victoria, spoke out, saying she supports a thorough review of the case.
“We ask people to remember that Richard was a human being who had a rightful claim to the dignity that everyone deserves, including from police officers sworn to protect and serve them and the community,” a statement issued on behalf of Victoria Richards said. “The way Richard died is inexcusable and wrong.”
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover released a statement on Friday saying they have launched the review of a police shooting that left a man in a motorized wheel chair dead.
