RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) — Newly released bodycam footage and 911 audio show the panicked moments before Richmond police shoot and kill a man who was threatening his brother and family with knives.
Police say they waited for non-lethal tools to stop the frightening situation on August 4, but it still ended with a deadly shooting.
Officers could be heard on body camera video yelling, “Richmond police, stop!”
That is the moment before Richmond Police officers shot and killed Angel Montano, who they say was armed with two knives, which can be seen in a bodycam still shot provided by officers.
It came more than nine minutes after the initial call for help to 911 and more than three minutes after officers had arrived outside.
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Montano’s brother can be heard on the 911 recording saying, “My brother became aggressive, he has mental issues…Angel, Angel please put down the knife, please put down the knife!”
Montano’s brother said his mother was in between the two of them and was threatening his life. His crying mother can be heard at times within the call.
At one point during that call, officers arrived but delayed going towards the house as they were outside waiting for a non-lethal weapon.
But then, the brother told dispatch that there was a second knife.
“Kitchen knife on his left and a regular small utility knife on his right. Please hurry! Send them in now please!” he said.
A short time after, police say officers went to the door and an armed Montano came out and went towards them, leading to the fatal shooting.
“There are two people inside that house who their lives are also in danger, so at that point we have to, it’s a balancing act, go from are we de-escalating and while we are de-escalating, are we going to let two people potentially die or get hurt or do we have to go in?” Richmond police Lt. Donald Patchin said. “And that’s the struggle that we have to make in law enforcement now. So it’s a split second decision that officers have to make based on the facts that they know at the time and that’s what occurred in this case.”
One of the officers who fired is facing a state investigation over another deadly shooting on the job earlier this year, but was approved to be back on patrol by the chief.
As for Montano’s case, the department says mental health response teams are not equipped to deal with those who are armed.
“I don’t have the answers on what can be done differently but I do hope that there will be some conversation around legislation and laws to get the people that actually need mental health assistance, the health they need so we do not end up in these type of situations,” Richmond Police Chief Bisa French said.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is also involved in this investigation.
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