Montana Cop Breaks Down in Tears After Shooting Unarmed Man
On April 14, Billings, Montana police officer Grant Morrison shot and killed a robbery suspect after the suspect failed to keep his hands visible during a traffic stop. Seconds later, a dashboard camera recorded Morrison breaking down in tears after finding out that the suspect—38-year-old Richard Ramirez—was unarmed.
"I thought he was going to pull a gun on me," Morrison says in the video as other officers try to console him.
Last week, a grand jury determined that the shooting was justified, and Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito told the Associated Press he doesn't expect any charges to be filed against Morrison.
"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 testified. "I couldn't take that risk. ... I wanted to see my son grow up."
In 2013, Morrison fatally shot another unarmed suspect. He was also cleared of any wrongdoing in that case.
Video of last year's shooting shows Morrison ordering four passengers—one of whom he'd identified as Richard Ramirez, a suspect in a recent robbery—to keep their hands on top of the car's seats. "Get your fucking hands on the seat or I will shoot you! Hands up!" Morrison shouts before firing three rounds into the car, striking Ramirez in the chest. An autopsy later showed Ramirez had a near-fatal amount of methamphetamine in his system.
Ramirez's sister told the Associated Press that she intends to file a lawsuit against Morrison and the Billings Police Department alleging excessive use of force.