Video shows Richmond police confrontation with armed man they fatally shot
The man, Angel Montano, 27, was a former U.S. Marine who suffered from mental health issues, attorney John Burris, who represents the family, told the Chronicle.
The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. Aug. 4, after a 911 caller reported that his brother, identified as Montano, was armed with a knife in their home, threatening to kill him and his mother, police said.
'My brother became aggressive,' Montano's brother told a dispatcher, according to audio of the 911 call that the department released along with the video. 'He has mental issues.'
The body-worn camera video shows officers staged outside the home on First Street. Police said the officers were waiting for backup and less-than-lethal tools.
As officers staged outside, Montano's brother reported that Montano wanted to attack him and that Montano was standing in the home in front of the front door, with their mother between the two of them. Montano's brother was heard pleading with Montano to put down the knife.
The situation escalated as Montano's brother reported that Montano had grabbed a second knife. He had a kitchen knife in his left hand and a utility knife in his right hand. 'Please hurry,' Montano's brother implored, according to the 911 audio. 'Send them in now.'
The dispatcher informed Montano's brother that officers had to come up with a plan to keep them safe. 'We're not just going to rush,' the dispatcher said.
Officers then walked up to the front door, which was slightly ajar, the video showed. Police said officers heard an altercation and feared someone inside the home was being harmed.
An officer armed with what appeared to be a gun then pushed open the front door as he and other officers announced themselves. 'Come outside,' one of the officers shouted.
The officer who pushed open the door then shouted: 'Hey, hey, hey, stop!'
The footage ends as the man emerges. Police released photos from the video that showed he was armed with a knife in each hand.
Two officers, identified as Nicholas Remick and Colton Stocking, shot Montano, who died at the scene, police said.
The police department and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting. The two officers remained on administrative leave, in accordance with department policy, police said.
The case marked Remick's second on-duty shooting in six months. The prior shooting occurred around 9 p.m. Feb. 4, after officers located a man wanted on a warrant for an alleged probation violation tied to a domestic violence case. The suspect, found near the railroad tracks just west of Carlson Boulevard, refused to cooperate with officers, prompting a standoff while he was armed with what looked like a knife, police said.
Officers tried to de-escalate and peacefully resolve the situation for about 30 minutes, but the suspect ultimately charged at officers while raising the object in his hand in 'a threatening manner,' police said. That's when Remick and Officer Jessica Khalil shot the man.
The object turned out to be a black knife sheath, police said. The California Department of Justice, which investigates police shootings of unarmed civilians, identified the man as Jose De Jesus Mendez Rios. The DOJ's investigation of the shooting was ongoing as of Monday.
Remick was also named in a federal lawsuit in January after a man sued the city of Richmond, alleging Remick and a sergeant assaulted him as he recorded video of an arrest after a police chase came to an end outside a market on May 5, 2024. Kwesi Guss claimed that as Sgt. Alexander Caine ran toward the driver and passenger of the car officers had pursued, he yelled at Guss to get out of the way and pushed him.
'Shut yo' b— ass up,' Guss replied, according to the lawsuit.
Caine responded: 'What was that?' Then he struck Guss' chest with his palms, the lawsuit alleged.
The sergeant pushed Guss three more times before a witness stepped in. That's when Remick ran over. He and Caine grabbed Guss, handcuffed him and forced him to the ground, placing their knees on Guss' back and ribs, and pushing his face onto the ground, the lawsuit stated. Police detained him for about an hour, then released him.
The lawsuit remains pending in San Francisco federal court, with a trial date set for next year.
Burris, who filed the lawsuit on Guss' behalf and now represents the Montano family, said he plans to take a close look at the shooting of Montano to determine if officers violated any of Montano's constitutional or civil rights. He said the footage released Monday was only one part of the 'story.'
He said he did not yet know the details about Montano's mental health condition. On the day of the shooting, Burris said, Montano's family told dispatchers about his history of mental illness. Montano lived with his mother, brother and sister. He also leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter, Burris said.
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Although a majority of San Franciscans approve of Lurie's performance thus far and are optimistic about the city's future, that sentiment is not shared evenly across the city. Many residents and merchants near the Mission's Jose Coronado Playground say serious problems continue to plague the neighborhood, including sex work, homelessness and public intoxication, and that the city needs to do more. Lurie's spokesperson Charles Lutvak said the mayor's office is working with city agencies to 'get dangerous people off the street' and to reduce homelessness. 'San Francisco does not tolerate violent behavior — if you put your neighbors at risk, you will be arrested,' Lutvak said in a statement. Evan Sernoffsky, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department, said in a statement that officers are in constant communication with the community regarding the man. The department has distributed information packets to city supervisors and officers at Mission Station with a copy of the man's restraining orders and other documentation related to his cases, he said. 'This activity is unacceptable, and our officers will continue to make arrests and enforce the law in the Mission and every other neighborhood in the city,' Sernoffsky said. Supervisor Jackie Fielder's chief of staff, Sasha Gaona, said her office has elevated all of the constituent concerns it has received to the appropriate city agencies. It's unclear what kind of outreach or treatment city officials may have offered the man. Officials have a couple of newer avenues for pushing treatment on people experiencing mental illness or addiction, but they both have limitations and it's unclear the man would qualify. To take part in CARE Court, for instance, a person must be diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder or another psychotic disorder and voluntarily agree to participate. 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Carbajol, 66, said the man broke the windshield of his 1982 Datsun pickup, stole the vehicle's battery and damaged the ignition switch, making the vehicle inoperable. Carbajol, who is disabled, does not have the $3,000 required to repair his truck and said he's worried his car will be impounded if he can't move it for upcoming street cleanings. As part of the legal proceedings in that case, a judge ordered the man to refrain from coming within 150 yards of where the alleged assault occurred adjacent to the playground. But neighbors said he quickly returned — and that police initially ignored their reports of his violations. In late July, another fire broke out in the neighborhood. Near the corner of 20th and Shotwell streets, a car erupted in flames in the middle of the night. It's unclear how the blaze started, but residents said a person matching the man's description was captured on surveillance footage nearby and shortly before the fire broke out. The next evening, the man entered Shotwell's Saloon on the same block. It was around closing time, and he began yelling at staff when they asked him to leave, said the bar's owner, David Hall. He shouted profanities and threatened to break a window, Hall said. The next morning, Hall said he woke up to a text from another merchant informing him that the man had thrown a rock through the bar's front door. 'It's just ridiculous,' Hall said. 'He's a threat to the community and yet he was still walking around.' Later that morning, officers apprehended the man, who was charged with felony vandalism. A judge issued another restraining order to prevent him from coming within 150 yards of the bar. Since then, officers have arrested the man twice for allegedly violating his restraining orders, which prevent him from returning to the encampment he frequented. The man is expected to remain in custody until his next court hearing, scheduled for Sept. 4. 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The NCAA imposed a multimillion-dollar fine on Michigan and suspended football coach Sherrone Moore for a third game on Friday for a sign-stealing scandal that has overshadowed college football's most successful program for nearly two years. Here's what you need to know: Reports surfaced in 2023 of a scheme run by now-former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions. The scheme involved a network of Stalions' associates — dubbed the 'KGB' — attending games and recording opposing team sidelines to capture play-calling signals. The NCAA said it found '56 instances of off-campus, in-person scouting of 13 future regular-season opponents' over 52 games over three seasons (2021-23). The NCAA prohibits in-person scouting of same-season future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team's signals. The NCAA said Stalions spearheaded the sign-stealing operation. The former Marine was accused of assembling a team of scouts which he'd send to games of upcoming opponents. Stalions' network of scouts would provide him with film of signal callers on future opponents' sidelines. The NCAA said he would then decipher the signals, giving Michigan a competitive advantage. The NCAA said the extent of the operation is not fully known as Stalions and others involved have destroyed and withheld evidence. Stalions, a Navy graduate, was suspended by the school and later resigned. He recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons. A show-cause order effectively bans an individual from college athletics. In order to be hired for a college sports job by a school that is an NCAA member during a show-cause order, the prospective employer would have to make a strong case, or show cause, in front of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. Former coach Jim Harbaugh, former assistant director of player personnel Denard Robinson and Stalions will be prohibited from athletic-related activities for years. Harbaugh was given the longest show-cause order, spanning 10 years after the conclusion of his current four-year order on Aug. 7, 2028. Robinson is banned for three years, and Stalions for eight years. Harbaugh, a former Michigan star quarterback, is heading into his second year as head coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. Michigan faces financial penalties surpassing $20 million, including a $50,000 fine, a 10% fine on the football program's budget, a 10% fine on Michigan's 2025-2026 scholarships and a fine matching the projected loss of postseason revenue for 2025 and 2026. Will that hurt a school with Michigan's resources? All top programs are sharing up to $20.5 million this school year directly with their athletes and under the House decision scholarships are unlimited, though there are roster caps. That has forced schools to look for revenue sources from different places. In June, Michigan said revenues and expenses for its next fiscal year were expected to be $266.3 million. Moore had previously been issued a self-imposed two-game suspension by Michigan, which will be served this season. The NCAA levied an additional one-game suspension, which Moore will serve during next season's opener. Moore received a two-year show-cause order but unlike Stalions and Harbaugh he will be allowed to fulfill coaching commitments and other related activities.
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What to know about the Michigan sign-stealing scheme and NCAA punishments
The NCAA imposed a multimillion-dollar fine on Michigan and suspended football coach Sherrone Moore for a third game on Friday for a sign-stealing scandal that has overshadowed college football's most successful program for nearly two years. Here's what you need to know: What is the scandal about? Reports surfaced in 2023 of a scheme run by now-former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions. The scheme involved a network of Stalions' associates — dubbed the 'KGB' — attending games and recording opposing team sidelines to capture play-calling signals. The NCAA said it found '56 instances of off-campus, in-person scouting of 13 future regular-season opponents' over 52 games over three seasons (2021-23). The NCAA prohibits in-person scouting of same-season future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team's signals. What did Connor Stalions do? The NCAA said Stalions spearheaded the sign-stealing operation. The former Marine was accused of assembling a team of scouts which he'd send to games of upcoming opponents. Stalions' network of scouts would provide him with film of signal callers on future opponents' sidelines. The NCAA said he would then decipher the signals, giving Michigan a competitive advantage. The NCAA said the extent of the operation is not fully known as Stalions and others involved have destroyed and withheld evidence. Stalions, a Navy graduate, was suspended by the school and later resigned. He recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons. What is a show-cause order? A show-cause order effectively bans an individual from college athletics. In order to be hired for a college sports job by a school that is an NCAA member during a show-cause order, the prospective employer would have to make a strong case, or show cause, in front of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. Former coach Jim Harbaugh, former assistant director of player personnel Denard Robinson and Stalions will be prohibited from athletic-related activities for years. Harbaugh was given the longest show-cause order, spanning 10 years after the conclusion of his current four-year order on Aug. 7, 2028. Robinson is banned for three years, and Stalions for eight years. Harbaugh, a former Michigan star quarterback, is heading into his second year as head coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. Is the fine significant? Michigan faces financial penalties surpassing $20 million, including a $50,000 fine, a 10% fine on the football program's budget, a 10% fine on Michigan's 2025-2026 scholarships and a fine matching the projected loss of postseason revenue for 2025 and 2026. Will that hurt a school with Michigan's resources? All top programs are sharing up to $20.5 million this school year directly with their athletes and under the House decision scholarships are unlimited, though there are roster caps. That has forced schools to look for revenue sources from different places. In June, Michigan said revenues and expenses for its next fiscal year were expected to be $266.3 million. What about coach Moore? Moore had previously been issued a self-imposed two-game suspension by Michigan, which will be served this season. The NCAA levied an additional one-game suspension, which Moore will serve during next season's opener. Moore received a two-year show-cause order but unlike Stalions and Harbaugh he will be allowed to fulfill coaching commitments and other related activities.
