© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Cop Shoots Man During Stop, But It’s What He Was Seen on Video Doing After That’s Getting Attention

Cop Shoots Man During Stop, But It’s What He Was Seen on Video Doing After That’s Getting Attention

"I couldn't take that risk. ... I wanted to see my son grow up."

Video emerged this week showing a Montana officer breakdown in tears after fatally shooting an unarmed man high on methamphetamine during a traffic stop.

The footage was posted online following a jury clearing Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison of any wrongdoing in the incident that led to the death of 38-year-old Richard Ramirez.

"I thought he was gonna pull a gun on me," Morrison said as he sobbed in the aftermath of the shooting.

[sharequote align="right"]"I thought he was gonna pull a gun on me."[/sharequote]

"Maybe he was, maybe he was," another officer replied as he consoled him. "Jesus, Grant. You survived."

The five-year police veteran said he became convinced that Ramirez had a gun after the man reached for his waistband during their 30-second encounter last April in a high-crime area of Montana's most populous city.

"I knew in that moment, which later was determined to be untrue, but I knew in that moment that he was reaching for a gun," Morrison said. "I couldn't take that risk. ... I wanted to see my son grow up."

The seven-person jury deliberated about an hour before delivering its decision to clear Morrison of any wrongdoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(H/T: Mediaite/Daily Dot)

Follow Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) on Twitter

[instory-firewire]

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?