7 days ago
Video shows Richmond police confrontation with armed man they fatally shot
The Richmond Police Department on Monday released body-worn camera video that shows a man emerging from a home last week holding two knives moments before officers fatally shot him.
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.
