A man who was carrying an air rifle in an Ohio Wal-Mart told the police officers that fatally shot him that the gun was “not real,” according to a family member.
John Crawford was shot by police Tuesday evening at a Beavercreek store. The Ohio attorney general’s office announced Thursday that he was merely carrying a brand of air rifle that Wal-Mart sells.
Another shopper, 37-year-old Angela Williams, collapsed and died as she scrambled to get away after police fired at Crawford.
The shooting occurred after police responded to 911 calls about a man carrying a rifle. In one of those calls, which was released by police, a Wal-Mart shopper told emergency dispatchers that it looked like the man — later identified as Crawford — was trying to load the rifle and that he had pointed it at two children
via Cops Kill Man In Wal-Mart Carrying An Air Rifle | The Daily Caller.
Some are saying this is a case of SWATing and I was not in communion with the idea till I heard the partially released 911 call. Either the caller is too stupid to be afraid or …. I don’t know what to tell you but there is something not quite right somewhere.
I expect this one to be swept under the rug with a hearty apology and a cash settlement.
UPDATE: From WHIO about the 911 call.
One 911 call released by Beavercreek police was from Ronald Ritchie of Riverside, who was inside Walmart. He told dispatchers at 8:21 p.m. Tuesday that he saw a man “walking around with a gun in the store.”
Ritchie, an ex-Marine, said the man was pointing a black rifle at people near the pet section and that “he’s loading it right now.” Later, he said, “He looked like he was trying to load it, I don’t know.” He then added, “He just pointed it at two children.”
I found a video review of the air rifle in question (Crosman MK-177) and much to my surprise, the magazine part of the rifle is decorative and cannot be removed. It uses some small black pellet holder/magazine that gets loaded in a totally different fashion than your regular semi auto rifle.
The Vad Vibe counter is about to peg on this one.
My first thought when I read this was to wonder if someone was reading from Mike Malloy’s play book.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2014/06/14/libtalker-mike-malloy-vows-start-panic-if-he-sees-open-carry-permit-ho
Yep, that’s exactly what I was thinking. It definitely sounds like a Malloy-style setup, and it went exactly like Malloy intended.
2nd that thought.
Something smells rotten about this for sure. Being as it was Wal-Mart, I’m fairly certain there is security video of the whole incident. I wonder if it’ll ever see the light of day though.
That;s a great point – hope they push for and secure it
Lots of knee jerk reactions on the web. The Ritchie’s are going to have a rough time of it.
Can Ronald Ritchie be charged for a false 911 report?
you would have to prove malice and that is gonna be a toughie
Tough but not impossible. If it turns out the store surveillance video doesn’t line up at all with his account to 911 I think he should find himself the subject of a thorough investigation.
Who knows, there may be some incriminating comments he’s made online with respect to doing this very thing.
Let’s hope this dude get lit up by the murdered man’s family in some crushing law suits and possible criminal charges for (apparently) causing this guys death…
The law enforcement agent(s)* that openned fire need to be investigated and if need be punished severely. I admit that a single article isn’t going to give me all the facts, but this sure looks like a case of “shoot first, ask questions… eventually.”
I get that a man with a replica firearm, brandishing it menacingly, in an alley at 2 AM probably needs shooting. But a guy with a toy gun in the toy aisle… WTF?
* I refuse to call them police officers until proven otherwise.
The deceased did not drop the weapon when ordered, was shot 2x, then proceeded to charge the PO-leece. He was tacked and cuffed. Prior, He was walking around the store brandishing the weapon and covering many people with the muzzle. Most people can’t tell the weapon was not a real m4 commando. Then deceased was a lifelong petty criminal and convicted felon. Armed robbery last year.
So the video is now available? Care to share the link?
PS: The rifle was a SCAR replica, not an M4.
And I was thinking something earlier: How the fork they manage in Walmarts were weapons are sold not to call the cops every time a sale is made and the customer holds the purchase?
m montz — amazing the amount of background information J. Random 911 Caller and J. Random Cop had on hand when this happened.
I’d like to see Mr. Crawford III’s arrest record. The media suggested earlier that his record was clean.
According to the Department of Corrections, Mr. Crawford has not served time in prison.
M. Montz – You are of course a moron. You are doing nothing but parroting the Ritchies statements to the press. The police approached him ordered him to drop the gun and fired in less then 10 seconds. The police always say the victim failed to comply!! What else can they say in this situation? You are obviously one of the “cops are always right no matter what” crew. No independent witness states he charged the police or pointed anything at anyone. and even the police are now backing away from this story now that we know he had a toy gun in the toy dept of the store and did nothing wrong. Even the State Attorney General has stated that Crawford did nothing wrong. The only witness who states he did anything untoward are the Ritchies and there statements are suspect. Also please advise where you obtained information on Mr Crawfords criminal record. Or did that come from the press too? I have checked all the Ohio criminal databases as well as corrections and the courts and can find no history of a felony record. The police and The Attorney General have not had one word to say about a criminal history and they would have. Instead of spouting gibberish like the low forehead you are do something smart like checking your facts
Excellent name calling.
And a fabulous presentation of factual support for your assertions. Where’s the link Miguel requested?
BS
That’s the police version. If correct it’s a righteous shooting for the police. But I have my doubts. This has already been turned over to the state po-po for investigation.
Why do I have a feeling the conclusion of any investigation will be, “He was executed in accordance with department policies and procedures.”
I hope I am wrong.
If it was a swatting, they have two deaths on their hands. A mother of four died from fright while shopping with her kids for school supplies and her upcoming wedding.
“Angela Williams, 37, collapsed inside the store Tuesday night as she was rushing to get two of her children out of the store.”
“Williams’ is said to have a heart condition and recovered from an episode in the recent past.”
http://wdtn.com/2014/08/06/mother-of-four-collapsed-at-walmart-trying-to-save-her-kids/
Condolences to her family and friends.
The Ritchies could be charged with Crawfords death. Malice is not a necessary element. If it can be proven te created the situation that lead to Crawfords death then he can be charged especially if it is proved he lied or misled police as to the severity of the situation He is an ex-marine and he claimed that Crawford had a magazine in his hand and loaded a weapon and then “cocked” it in front of him. This is simply not possible. An airsoft replica has a permanently attached simulated magazine. There is no cocking or charging mechanism. Also if he was so in fear of this man with a loaded rifle, why did he allow his handicapped wife to follow him closely on a store scooter? She would have been a prime target. Sorry but this whole thing just stinks.
I was killed once carrying an air rifle in Wal-Mart… to the checkout stand.
That’s not quite true, there’s a fakey charging handle on the left side which is used to pressurise the gun to fire, roughly where it would be on a real SCAR. But yeah, it’s a cheapo airgun with a fixed may (most airsofts actually have detachable ones) so there’s no way he could have put a magazine into it. He was probably just making sure the pressure seal was sound by pumping it up and making sure it didn’t hiss or something, I can imagine a toy like that on display stands a high chance of having been buggered up by someone’s kids.
Marine, amy butt. I don’t believe it. I served with some folks that recieved the Big Chicken Dinner later in life (the only “Ex-Marines that exist” but none were stupid enough to believe some one was loading an AR in the fashion he would have seen. ANd how stupid must he be to allow his “injured” wife on a scooter to follow someone if he truly believed the subject to be armed with an AR? No, the BS meter is pegging!!!
[…] I am gonna jump the gun, call this one a SWATing and get it over with. Ronald Ritchie got himself a lawyer probably because the hard evidence is gonna be enough to at least indict him for Manslaughter. Is he the only dumb bastard in the Western hemisphere that does not know 911 records all the calls and Wal-Mart has more surveillance cameras than London? John Crawford deserves justice. […]
Ritchie was in the Corps for 7 weeks. Fraudulent enlistment. His 911 call doesn’t match store video, and he has changed his story.
“And even still, it’s a gun in Walmart, in a public place, inducing panic,” said Ritchie.
As it turns out, his was the only 911 call on thw incident.
Sounds just like a “Moms Demand” type who thought it would be a good practical joke to call the cops.
I doubt he will face criminal charges but I hope he is sued penniless.
[…] Ritchie, the guy who called 911 and said John Crawford was reloading the impossible to reload rifle and waving it like crazy is not going to face even a parking […]
An ex-Marine?
I looked deeper…turns out that wasn’t just a media misquote…kid actually called HIMSELF an “ex-Marine”. That should have raise flags right there. Anyone that actually ever has been a Marine would never call themselves an ex-Marine. I’m not one and even I know that (every Marine I do know has made it clear!). The whole “once a Marine, always one” stuff isn’t just bravado, it’s actual policy.
Dig a little deeper and turns out he actually never did earn the title, got kicked out of boot.
Whole thing stinks.
I’m pretty ” pro cop” and I do not understand how the PD took this as a reason to shoot Crawford?
And if OC is legal there, then why the problem in the first place? Something seriously rotten here!
I’m also pretty ‘anti-lawsuit’, however, in this, I would definetly go after Ritchie’s ass.