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August 30th, 2022 
Awake Goy 
Former officer Ryan Remington, 32, is accused of recklessly causing the death of Richard Lee Richards, 61, in the Nov. 30 shooting in Tucson. Photo by Tucson Police Department
The off-duty Tucson police officer who fatally shot a man in a wheelchair nine times in the back is facing a manslaughter charge, a grand jury has decided.
Former officer Ryan Remington, 32, is accused of recklessly causing the death of 61-year-old Richard Lee Richards, according to Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, who said there will be an arraignment this week.
“It appears now that this case will go to trial and we will do our best to ensure that it is a fair trial,” Conover said during a press conference on Thursday. “My office, despite considerable pressure to rush to judgment, took careful, calculated, and thorough steps to come to this decision. We took the time to get it right.”
On Nov. 30, Remington, who was off-duty working Walmart security, was following Richards after he allegedly stole a toolbox. Richards, who was in a motorized scooter, allegedly flashed a knife to Walmart employees who tried to confront him.
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SCREENSHOT OF SURVEILLANCE VIDEO RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC BY POLICE
“If you want me to put down the knife, you’re going to have to shoot me,” Richards allegedly told Remington as Remington followed him into the parking lot. As on-duty police officers arrived, Richards tried to go into the Lowe’s store nearby. Disturbing body camera footage released by police last December shows that Remington shot Richards nine times from behind just as the arriving officers ordered Richards to stop.
Remington could be seen on security footage handcuffing Richards as he slumped out of his chair and bled out. Police tried to render aid, but Richards was declared dead shortly after the shooting.
Remington was fired from his job with the Tucson Police Department earlier this year after an internal investigation.
Remington’s legal representative, Tucson Police Officers Association attorney Michael Storie, previously argued that his client had tried numerous times to de-escalate the situation, leaving him no other choice but to use force as Richards entered another store. He also said that Remington fired as many shots as he did as a result of his training.
Storie did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but he told local NBC affiliate KVOA that the charges against his client are “legal fiction.”
“Manslaughter doesn’t even fit,” Storie told the TV station. “I’ll be very, very interested to read the grand jury transcript and what went on in that room where I was not present.”
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