TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Former Tucson police officer Ryan Remington, who was fired from TPD in January, has been indicted on manslaughter charges for shooting a man in a mobility scooter who allegedly ignored orders to drop a knife.
The incident happened in November but Remington was indicted this week.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover spoke briefly Thursday and took no questions on the spot. She said the process that led to a Grand Jury indicting Ryan Remington was the result of a long careful process.
Surveillance video shows Ryan Remington following 61-year-old Richard Lee Richards out of a Walmart on Valencia Road and towards a Lowe's nearby.
Richards was suspected of shoplifting a toolbox from Walmart. Remington says Richards refused orders to drop a knife and was rolling into a busy Lowe’s store when Remington shot Richards nine times.
Remington’s attorney Mike Storie says Remington is looking forward to an unbiased jury judging his decisions that day. Storie says the fact Richards was in a mobility scooter does not mean he was unable to stand up and endanger someone with the knife.
Storie says he has evidence he can show in court that Richards was able to walk.
He says, “There's absolutely no question that this guy could have gotten out of that chair and hurt people. There's no question.”
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover says the Grand Jury indictment against Remington roughly nine months after the shooting is the result of her dedication to thorough justice that is not rushed. She says the work towards the indictment included veteran prosecutors experienced in trying law enforcement officers.
“The attorneys who assisted with this included Rick Romley, the longtime former Maricopa County attorney and Don Conrad, a veteran litigator who has served Maricopa County the Attorney General's Office and the United States Attorney's Office. Between the two of them, we added decades of prosecutorial experience.”
Conover took no questions. She says ethics rules prevent her from discussing evidence in the case.
The manslaughter charge against Remington is a Class 2 felony in the state of Arizona and could carry with it a sentence ranging from three to 12.5 years if convicted.
According to Storie, statements relating to this case issued by Conover, Mayor Regina Romero and then-Police Chief Chris Magnus have been prejudicial.
Mayor Romero shared this statement following the indictment:
Now that the Grand Jury has issued an indictment and Ryan Remington will face criminal charges, it is a matter for the courts to adjudicate.
I will continue to work alongside our Chief of Police, Chad Kasmar, to ensure that we get to the root causes that prevent tragedies like this in our community.
Chief Chad Kasmar commented as well:
This tragedy greatly impacted the Tucson community and this department.
Today, we received notice that Ryan Remington has been indicted by a grand jury and faces criminal charges.
This is now a matter for the courts to adjudicate.
I’ll be referring any further questions to the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
RELATED: Conover on deadly TPD shooting: 'The video is jarring'
Rick Resch, one of the attorneys for the Richards family released the following statement in response to the indictment:
It has been a long and difficult past nine months for Mr. Richards's family, but they are relieved that former Officer Ryan Remington has been indicted and will face the prospect of justice for the shooting and killing of Mr. Richards.
There must be accountability for Mr. Richards's death, to the community and to his family, and this is a step in the right direction.
Attorney John Bradley, who also represents the Richards family, stated that the family plans to proceed with a separate civil suit against Remington in the next few weeks.
RELATED: TPOA Attorney: Officer tried to deescalate situation at Lowe's
Officer who shot, killed wheelchair-using suspect fired
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
