A Montana police officer was cleared of any wrongdoing after he shot and killed a man during a routine traffic stop last year.
According to Yahoo News, on Thursday, a jury found Billings Police Officer Grant Morrison not guilty for fatally shooting Richard Ramirez. The case originated in April of last year when Morrison pulled over Ramirez and his friends during a traffic stop. The 38-year-old was high on methamphetamine and refused to place his hands up in the air. After the officer spotted Ramirez placing his hand on his waist, he fatally shot him.
Video of the aftermath was released on YouTube this week with the officer falling to ground and bursting into tears. As other officers try to console him, Morrison is heard saying, "I thought he was going to pull a gun on me."
During the trial, Morrison maintained his innocence.
"I knew in that moment, which later was determined to be untrue, but I knew in that moment that he was reaching for a gun," Morrison said. "I couldn't take that risk. ... I wanted to see my son grow up."
Ramirez's family was distraught over the ruling and believed Richard was the victim of racial profiling. His cousin spoke to reporters over his drug use.
"I don't care what things my brother did in the past," Renee Ramirez said. "What does that have to do with shooting my brother?"
This is the five-year veteran's second time killing an unarmed man. He was also cleared of any crime in the previous case.
Since the April incident, Morrison has been on paid administrative leave. He was also assigned to a task force investigating prescription drug crimes.
Check out Morrison's breakdown around the 4:30 mark above.
Source: Yahoo News
