A Tucson police officer who shot and killed a man in a motorized wheelchair last year has been fired.
One the evening of Nov. 29, Officer Ryan Remington fired nine rounds and struck Richard Lee Richards’ back and side during an encounter in front of the entrance of a Lowe's Home Improvement store in Tucson.
A statement issued by Tucson Police Department at the time said Remington was off-duty, but responded to a call from an employee from the Walmart next to the Lowe's, who said Richards had stolen a toolbox. It said Remington fired the shots after Richards refused to stop and drop a knife he was brandishing. Richards was pronounced dead on the scene.
Former Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus first moved to fire Remington days after the incident, saying his use of deadly force violated the department’s policies.
Magnus left Tucson Police Department to lead Customs and Border Protection at the end of last year. In another a new statement Wednesday, Tucson police's new Chief Chad Kasmar had fired Remington and he was no longer employed with the department. The statement said Remington has 10 days to appeal the decision.
