Household of unarmed man shot and killed by deputy as college students walked previous exterior faculty sues sheriff’s workplace

A wrongful dying lawsuit has been filed in federal courtroom on behalf of the household of a person shot to dying by a Pueblo County sheriff’s deputy exterior a center faculty a yr in the past, CBS Colorado’s Rick Sallinger studies.

Physique digital camera video reveals college students strolling previous: The incident occurred as faculty was letting out.

The mom of the person who was shot was additionally there.

The incident occurred in a car parking zone of the Liberty Level Worldwide Center Faculty on Feb. 22, 2022.

Richard Ward, 32, was on the faculty to select up his youthful brother, Sallinger says. He received out of the automotive to stretch his legs, then was seen making an attempt to get right into a automotive he thought was his — however it wasn’t.

Deputies had been referred to as. 

By that point, Ward was within the again seat of the automotive he got here in, which belonged to his mom, Kristy Ward Stamp.

She and her boyfriend had been additionally within the automotive, based on The Denver Submit.

Attorneys for the household launched physique digital camera video of what got here subsequent.

One in all two deputies who responded to the calls approached Ward and requested if he was below the affect of something. He mentioned no.

Requested by a deputy for ID and if he had any weapons, Ward answered, “I believe I might need a pocket knife, I do not know.”

He pulled a lighter out of his pocket and put it apart, then put a capsule into his mouth. Attorneys for Ward’s household say the capsule was for anxiousness.

Deputies informed investigators they believed he might need been reaching for a weapon when he was pulled out of the automotive.

A battle came about, throughout which the phrase “gun” might be heard within the video. The deputy combating Ward on the bottom then fired pictures. 

The video’s audio did not reveal the context of the phrase “gun.”

Ward was shot 3 times within the chest. He is seen on the bottom nonetheless transferring because the deputies stand over him.

“I am unable to discover the phrases to clarify to my son, who I used to be selecting up at college that day — I am unable to discover the phrases — we will not clarify. It is simply shattered this complete household”, she informed reporters at a information convention Tuesday.

Her son was on the bottom for 3 minutes with no help till paramedics arrived, Sallinger mentioned.

Deputies informed investigators they had been involved for his or her security, instantly following the incident.

On the information convention, legal professionals for the household referred to as it a case of homicide.

Lawyer Darold Killmer mentioned, “Keep in mind, Richard Ward was unarmed. Richard Ward was not making an attempt to flee the scene. Richard Ward was not threatening in any strategy to both of the officers or anyone else.”

The Submit quotes Killmer as saying, “”Richard Ward’s dying is a profound injustice — an unarmed, cooperative citizen shot and killed in entrance of his mom by a Pueblo County sheriff’s deputy. This was nothing wanting state-sanctioned homicide of a citizen who shouldn’t have been even arrested, not to mention killed in broad daylight.”

The sheriff’s deputies concerned within the case had been cleared of any prison expenses by the district legal professional following an investigation that discovered the capturing justified.