Former Tucson police officer charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting man in motorized wheelchair

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover announced Thursday that former Tucson police Officer Ryan Remington will be charged with manslaughter after shooting a man in a motorized wheelchair nine times in November 2021, at a Lowe’s in Tucson.

The Tucson Police Department fired Remington the day after the shooting occurred, on Nov. 30, 2021.

According to Tucson police, the fatal shooting occurred at a Lowe’s parking lot, near Valencia and Midvale Park roads at about 6 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2021. Remington responded to a shoplifting call at a nearby Walmart, where he was working off-duty as a security guard.

Police said an employee told them when they confronted the shoplifting suspect, identified by police as Richard Lee Richards, to show a receipt for the toolbox he was suspected of taking, he pulled out a knife and told the employee, “Here’s your receipt.”

Police said Richards then traveled to a Lowe’s store across the parking lot in his motorized wheelchair. Tucson police released bodycam footage showing Remington following Richards across the parking lot as he called for backup, saying Richards “pulled a knife on me.”

Officer Stephanie Taylor responded to the scene as well. After both officers told Richards not to enter the Lowe’s, Remington fired his gun nine times into Richards' back and side, causing Richards to immediately fall from his chair. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

During a Thursday afternoon news conference, Conover said Remington was served with the court summons that morning and his arraignment was scheduled for next week.

“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,” attorney Rick Resch said in an emailed statement representing Richard Lee Richards' family.

John Bradley, another attorney representing Richards' family, said in the statement they wanted to give the County Attorney’s Office the time it needed to investigate the shooting and make the charging decision.

“Now that Mr. Remington has been indicted, though, Mr. Richards’s family will proceed with a civil rights lawsuit against Mr. Remington in the next few weeks,” Bradley said.

Conover acknowledged the County Attorney’s Office wanted to take the proper time to decide to charge Remington with manslaughter, saying the office did it “right and not rushed. I was determined, and so were my colleagues, that we would set aside emotion and do the work of justice.”

“We took the time we needed to get it right,” Conover said.

Conover said the County Attorney’s Office worked with prosecutors outside of Pima County to assist in the decision to prosecute Remington. She said they used experience from officer-involved trials in Phoenix, as the last officer tried by jury who was accused of an unlawful shooting in Pima County was from an incident in 1989.

Conover also said they conducted their own investigation into the incident apart from the Tucson Police Department’s investigation.

Conover clarified that she would not be discussing the details of the case during the news conference.

“There is no joy in this announcement today,” Conover said, “... but we have an absolute obligation to seek justice for the people of Pima County.”

Reach breaking news reporter Sam Burdette at sburdette@gannett.com or on Twitter @SuperSafetySam.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Tucson officer charged after fatally shooting man in wheelchair