"There more than 10 officers there that night. These officers had nearly an hour to formulate, to strategize about a better plan, that would be able to get Mr. Mendez home safely."
"What you will see in the video is a man who is cornered.... With lights trained on him as if we was some sort of animal who has been pushed into a corner. And then you see multiple officers yelling commands. From different angles. Expecting him, who is now backed up against the fence, alone, in a mental health crisis.... Pointing weapons at him. Supposed to be the one to maintain his cool."
"Pointer claims that Richmond police were well aware of Mendez's documented mental health challenges. And by shooting him, the officers ignored their training and violated the law."
The Mendez family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Richmond Police Department following the February 2025 fatal shooting of Jose de Jesus Mendez Rios. Video evidence shows Mendez was isolated against a fence, experiencing a mental health episode, and carrying only a knife cover, not an actual knife. Despite more than 10 officers being present with nearly an hour to strategize a safer approach, officers Nicholas Remick and Jessica Khalil opened fire. Lawyers argue the officers were aware of Mendez's documented mental health challenges, were well-trained in de-escalation, and violated protocol by shooting an unarmed, cornered individual in crisis rather than negotiating his safe resolution.
#police-shooting #mental-health-crisis #civil-rights-lawsuit #de-escalation-failure #police-accountability
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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