Last April, a thirty-second traffic stop ended with a Montana police officer firing three gunshots into a vehicle that killed an unarmed passenger. Dash camera footage shows Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison approaching the car, opening the passenger door and shouting “Hands up!” before opening fire on 38-year-old Richard Ramirez, who was high on methamphetamine. Morrison said he recognized Ramirez as a suspect from a robbery and shooting from the previous night and believed that Ramirez was reaching for a gun in his waistband.
A coroner’s jury met last week and ruled that the shooting was a non-criminal, justified homicide. The jury’s role is to assist the coroner in determining the cause of a person’s death, but it does not try cases. In this respect, it is similar to a grand jury, as it reviews evidence that may be relevant at a trial. According to the Billings Gazette, the county attorney said it is unlikely his office will seek charges after the inquest.
The Billings Police Department also released dash cam footage of Morrison sobbing after shooting Ramirez on April 14, 2014. In the video, a distraught Morrison leans on the hood of the squad car, covers his face with his palms and cries loudly, while two other officers try to console him. The video is just over two minutes long and was shown to the coroner’s jury.
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During his testimony, Morrison said, “It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” according to the Billings Gazette. “I wish I didn’t have to make it. I wish I just knew he didn’t have a gun, but I couldn’t take the risk.”
The seven-person jury determined that Morrison was justified in shooting the unarmed Ramirez, as Morrison believed that Ramirez was reaching for a gun in his waistband during a traffic stop.
“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,” said Morrison, a five-year police veteran. “I couldn’t take that risk. … I wanted to see my son grow up.”
The jury deliberated for about an hour before delivering the verdict. The Associated Press reported that Ramirez family members intend to file a lawsuit against Morrison and the Billings Police Department alleging excessive use of force.
Dashboard video of the shooting was also shown to the jury.
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